incomprehensible

1 of 2

adjective

in·​com·​pre·​hen·​si·​ble (ˌ)in-ˌkäm-pri-ˈhen(t)-sə-bəl 

1

: impossible to comprehend : unintelligible

incomprehensible instructions

2

archaic : having or subject to no limits

incomprehensibility

(ˌ)in-ˌkäm-pri-ˌhen(t)-sə-ˈbi-lə-tē 

noun

incomprehensibleness noun

incomprehensibly

(ˌ)in-ˌkäm-pri-ˈhen(t)-sə-blē 

adverb

incomprehensibility

2 of 2

noun

in·​comprehensibility (¦)in 

ən+

: the quality or state of being incomprehensible

Synonyms of incomprehensible

Adjective

• unintelligible
• mysterious
• unfathomable
• confusing
• uncanny
• esoteric
• impenetrable
• obscure
• cryptic

Examples of incomprehensible in a Sentence

Adjective

I found his behavior utterly incomprehensible.

It's incomprehensible to me that he could have acted that way.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Here, relatives try to comprehend the incomprehensible — how around 120 of their children could be snuffed out, just after they’d been dropped off for a day of classes. — Amir Vahdat, Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 2026

The second-chance Hail Mary led to the incomprehensible scene of the Michigan Stadium crowd storming the field to cheer the winningest program in Bowl Subdivision history eking out a victory over a Mid-American Conference school. — CBS News, 7 Sep. 2026

War of the Worlds fuses post-9/11 paranoia and the terror of parenting to create one of Spielberg’s most thrilling blockbusters with a dark, genuinely scary atmosphere of ordinary people being wiped out by incomprehensible tragedy. — Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 21 Aug. 2026

Farnaby’s character, a thickly-accented and mostly-incomprehensible farmer, was, of course, called Barry. — Alex Ritman, Variety, 7 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English, from Latin incomprehensibilis, from in- + comprehensibilis comprehensible

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for incomprehensible

• comprehensible
• indefensible
• indispensable
• reprehensible
• supersensible
• compensable
• condensable
• defensible
• dispensable
• extensible
• insensible
• ostensible

Kids Definition

incomprehensible

adjective

in·​com·​pre·​hen·​si·​ble (ˌ)in-ˌkäm-pri-ˈhen(t)-sə-bəl 

: impossible to understand

found their behavior incomprehensible

incomprehensibility

-ˌhen(t)-sə-ˈbil-ət-ē 

noun

incomprehensibly

-ˈhen(t)-sə-blē 

adverb