incomprehensible

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

Synonyms of incomprehensible

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

Examples of incomprehensible in a Sentence

I found his behavior utterly incomprehensible.

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

Recent Examples on the Web

The scope of the effort is almost incomprehensible, both for its sheer size and persistence on a low-lying peninsula, where the delineation between land and sea has always been somewhat unclear and is becoming less so. —Amy Green, Miami Herald, 9 Jan. 2026

In these cases, the equations will predict a fluid moving in some unphysical, incomprehensible way — spinning into an impossibly fast vortex, for instance, or instantly reversing its flow. —Quanta Magazine, 9 Jan. 2026

And in the grand tradition of parents not understanding kids’ slang, parents often find messages incomprehensible, which isn’t unusual, noted Nixon. —Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 1 Jan. 2026

The story is now so bogged down as to be incomprehensible. —Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 30 Dec. 2025

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

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