unintelligible

adjective

un·​in·​tel·​li·​gi·​ble ˌən-in-ˈte-lə-jə-bəl How to pronounce unintelligible (audio)
Synonyms of unintelligiblenext
: 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 noun
or less commonly unintelligibleness
unintelligibly adverb
muttering unintelligibly

Examples of unintelligible in a Sentence

uttered only a string of unintelligible murmurs
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
As satire, Next to Heaven is unintelligible, as though someone is universalizing their own hangups and then skewering them for clout. Literary Hub, 17 Dec. 2025 A number of individuals who were in that classroom told authorities that the gunman shouted an unintelligible statement and then began shooting students. Chris Spargo, PEOPLE, 15 Dec. 2025 The removal of Spears' Instagram account came after years of public concern and defense over her social media presence, in which the pop star has been seen posting dance videos (including with knives), sometimes with unintelligible and bizarre captions. Edward Segarra, USA Today, 17 Nov. 2025 The vendor said some other things that were unintelligible because of the overlap between her live speech and the lagging translation. Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 16 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for unintelligible

Word History

First Known Use

1664, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of unintelligible was in 1664

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Cite this Entry

“Unintelligible.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unintelligible. Accessed 24 Dec. 2025.

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