uncomprehending
adjective
un·com·pre·hend·ing
ˌən-ˌkäm-pri-ˈhen-diŋ 
-prē-
1
: not comprehending : lacking understanding
They were uncomprehending of what was happening.
2
: showing a lack of understanding or knowledge
had an uncomprehending look on his face
Examples of uncomprehending in a Sentence
They were uncomprehending of what was going on.
He gave me an uncomprehending look when I mentioned her name.
Recent Examples on the Web
But the faces of those watching and listening—some grateful, some reproachful, some utterly uncomprehending—tell a more strained and complicated story.
—
Justin Chang, New Yorker, 22 Aug. 2025
Like a lovers’ quarrel, Apple TV+’s Valentine’s Day release, The Gorge, is likely to split audiences into two mutually uncomprehending camps.
—Graham Hillard, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 28 Feb. 2025
Uncle Meat, Mothers of Invention Frank Zappa was constrained by a hostile record company, an uncomprehending public, a band that could barely play his music, and a budget woefully inadequate to the task at hand.
—Liza Lentini, SPIN, 24 Nov. 2023
Verheyen looked over at Luciano Lliuya, who listened uncomprehending to the slew of German words.
—Sarah Kaplan, Anchorage Daily News, 30 Aug. 2022
This was not an attack from an uncomprehending traditionalist.
—Louis Menand, The New Yorker, 13 June 2022
Those who could walk were led, stunned and uncomprehending, to the same sheets.
—Fox News, 11 Dec. 2021
And, what would have been most alarming of all to the uncomprehending rubes of yesteryear, people have taken to hypnotizing themselves.
—Bruno Maddox, Discover Magazine, 19 Aug. 2014
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Justin Chang, New Yorker, 22 Aug. 2025
Like a lovers’ quarrel, Apple TV+’s Valentine’s Day release, The Gorge, is likely to split audiences into two mutually uncomprehending camps.
—Graham Hillard, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 28 Feb. 2025
Uncle Meat, Mothers of Invention Frank Zappa was constrained by a hostile record company, an uncomprehending public, a band that could barely play his music, and a budget woefully inadequate to the task at hand.
—Liza Lentini, SPIN, 24 Nov. 2023
Verheyen looked over at Luciano Lliuya, who listened uncomprehending to the slew of German words.
—Sarah Kaplan, Anchorage Daily News, 30 Aug. 2022
This was not an attack from an uncomprehending traditionalist.
—Louis Menand, The New Yorker, 13 June 2022
Those who could walk were led, stunned and uncomprehending, to the same sheets.
—Fox News, 11 Dec. 2021
And, what would have been most alarming of all to the uncomprehending rubes of yesteryear, people have taken to hypnotizing themselves.
—Bruno Maddox, Discover Magazine, 19 Aug. 2014
Cite this Entry
“Uncomprehending.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/uncomprehending. Accessed 5 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share