inscrutable
adjective
in·scru·ta·ble
in-ˈskrü-tə-bəl 
: not readily investigated, interpreted, or understood : mysterious
an inscrutable smile
inscrutable motives
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Scrutinizing the inscrutable may be futile: even close scrutiny can fail to decipher it. Scrutinizing the scrutable, on the other hand, is likely to yield some understanding. All of these scrut- words have the same Latin root: scrutari, meaning “to search or examine.” While scrutiny, scrutinize, and inscrutable all prove themselves useful in everyday discourse, English speakers don’t tend to call much on scrutable, which functions as a synonym of comprehensible.
Examples of inscrutable in a Sentence
Supersymmetry is a magic mirror, and everything in what we imagine to be the real world has its ghostly, inscrutable mirror image.
—
Ian Stewart, Prospect, September 2003
Of all the myths that have grown up around Alan Greenspan, the most powerful is the idea that he's willfully inscrutable.
—James Surowiecki, New Yorker, 22 Jan. 2001
That wily politicians might adopt Franklin's distinction between appearance and reality to become inscrutable confidence men did not seem to trouble him.
—John H. Summers, Journal of American History, December 2000
an inscrutable work of art
He was a quiet, inscrutable man.
Ian Stewart, Prospect, September 2003
Of all the myths that have grown up around Alan Greenspan, the most powerful is the idea that he's willfully inscrutable.
—James Surowiecki, New Yorker, 22 Jan. 2001
That wily politicians might adopt Franklin's distinction between appearance and reality to become inscrutable confidence men did not seem to trouble him.
—John H. Summers, Journal of American History, December 2000
an inscrutable work of art
He was a quiet, inscrutable man.
Recent Examples on the Web
For now, this volcanic orb remains maddeningly inscrutable.
—Robin Andrews, Wired News, 15 June 2025
People generally think of him as a sort of kind of inscrutable guy.
—David Browne, Rolling Stone, 7 Apr. 2025
But compromises like these might be unavoidable in an era of such inscrutable excess.
—Michael Waters, The Atlantic, 4 June 2025
Great eight: Slot picks decisive moments of Liverpool title win
(Getty Images; design: Eamonn Dalton)
Arne Slot is an inscrutable guy.
—Phil Hay, New York Times, 22 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for inscrutable
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Robin Andrews, Wired News, 15 June 2025
People generally think of him as a sort of kind of inscrutable guy.
—David Browne, Rolling Stone, 7 Apr. 2025
But compromises like these might be unavoidable in an era of such inscrutable excess.
—Michael Waters, The Atlantic, 4 June 2025
Great eight: Slot picks decisive moments of Liverpool title win
(Getty Images; design: Eamonn Dalton)
Arne Slot is an inscrutable guy.
—Phil Hay, New York Times, 22 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for inscrutable
Cite this Entry
“Inscrutable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inscrutable. Accessed 11 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
inscrutable
adjective
in·scru·ta·ble
in-ˈskrüt-ə-bəl
: not easily understood : mysterious
an inscrutable expression
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