unintelligible

1 of 2

adjective

un·​in·​tel·​li·​gi·​ble ˌən-in-ˈte-lə-jə-bəl 

: unable to be understood or comprehended : not intelligible

a song with unintelligible lyrics

unintelligible jargon

… including parenthetical translations of the words and phrases he knew would be unintelligible to contemporary readers.

—John N. Green

unintelligibility

ˌən-in-ˌte-lə-jə-ˈbi-lə-tē 

noun

or less commonly unintelligibleness

unintelligibly

ˌən-in-ˈte-lə-jə-blē 

adverb

muttering unintelligibly

unintelligibility

2 of 2

noun

un·​intelligibility "+ 

1

: the quality or state of being unintelligible

2

: something that is unintelligible

depending too much on jargon and other unintelligibilities for effect

Synonyms of unintelligible

Adjective

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

Examples of unintelligible in a Sentence

Adjective

uttered only a string of unintelligible murmurs

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

The world premiere on Sunday – in the presence of Illumination boss Chris Meledandri and director Pierre Coffin, who is also the origin of the minions’ unintelligible chatter – kicks off one of the biggest Annecy Film Festival’s yet. — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 19 June 2026

The adversaries made for a striking scene, exchanging insults in mutually unintelligible languages in the dead of night. — Literary Hub, 16 June 2026

Brig is in the Upper Valais, a gaunt and conservative place where the inhabitants speak Walliser German, an Alpine dialect that many Swiss people find unintelligible. — Sam Knight, New Yorker, 1 June 2026

Death penalty states generally allow last statements from the execution chamber, but Texas catalogs the prisoners’ last words online, except for vulgar and racist language or what sounds unintelligible. — Erik Ortiz, NBC news, 20 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1664, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for unintelligible

• ineligible
• intelligible
• eligible