incoherent

adjective

ˌin-kō-ˈhir-ənt How to pronounce incoherent (audio)
Definition of incoherentnext
1
as in confusing
not clearly or logically connected the thriller's incoherent plot left movie audiences wondering who did what

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in loose
consisting of particles that do not stick together a driveway covered with incoherent gravel

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of incoherent Their complaints have been mostly incoherent and illogical, with UEFA's statement in particular being laughably inaccurate. — Ian Miller Outkick, FOXNews.com, 7 July 2026 The trial was a bit incoherent, with not much solid evidence presented. — William Finnegan, New Yorker, 1 July 2026 However, his second wife, Alicent Hightower (played as a young girl by Emily Carey and as an adult by Olivia Cooke), interprets his incoherent dying words as a change of heart in favor of her son, Aegon II Targaryen (played as a child by Ty Tennant and as an adult by Tom Glynn-Carney). — Encyclopedia Britannica, 22 June 2026 The book is Labarge’s attempt to tell the story of what happened to her and her family without sanitizing what happened, which requires her (and the reader) to sit with thoughts that are sometimes incoherent and irrational. — Literary Hub, 11 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for incoherent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for incoherent
  1. confusing
  2. loose
  3. inconsistent
  4. disjointed
  5. confused
  6. frustrating
  7. bizarre
  8. absurd
Adjective
  • Jean appears to be the first character in that reset, which is confusing because the old versions of various X-Men characters are still here.
    — Eliana Dockterman, Time, 31 July 2026
  • Meanwhile, thousands more are waiting in county jails for cases that are winding through a new, convoluted and confusing system where geography controls the rules.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 31 July 2026
Definition of confusing
Adjective
  • Skubal had a minimally invasive surgery on May 6 to remove a loose body from his pitching elbow and returned to pitch on June 13.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 Aug. 2026
  • Miriam wore a navy-blue task jacket to ward off the loose chill of the morning.
    — Rachel Yoder, New Yorker, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of loose
Adjective
  • However, backup quarterback Tyrod Taylor's inconsistent play, marked by a costly interception, raised concerns.
    — Rob Reischel, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
  • Similar reports have emerged in Germany and Switzerland, where local media reported that secondhand booksellers received unusual bulk orders for highly specialized books that appeared inconsistent with traditional collecting or resale.
    — Tatiana Sataua, Fortune, 31 July 2026
Definition of inconsistent
Adjective
  • Director Joss Whedon has spoken before about behind-the-scenes fights with Marvel, and those creative disagreements are evident in Ultron’s disjointed action scenes and messy tone.
    — EW Staff, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Aug. 2026
  • While easing access, strict eligibility criteria exclude those with conditions like type 2 diabetes or moderate sleep apnea, creating disjointed rules.
    — Joshua P. Cohen, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of disjointed
Adjective
  • An experiment with artificial intelligence at the annual Richard Wagner festival in the southeastern German town of Bayreuth drew boos from the audience after producing a staging that appeared to leave some spectators confused.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 Aug. 2026
  • An experiment with artificial intelligence at the famed annual Richard Wagner festival in the southeastern German town of Bayreuth drew boos from the audience after producing a staging that appeared to leave some spectators confused.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of confused
Adjective
  • But this approach just keeps you stuck on a frustrating conflict merry-go-round.
    — Sabrina Romanoff, CNBC, 30 July 2026
  • After another frustrating series loss, pressure continues to mount on the front office to find upgrades capable of jump-starting a lineup with postseason aspirations.
    — Peter Chawaga, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026
Definition of frustrating
Adjective
  • Whatever ends up coming for Alpha, with their TV fragmented into a billion tiny screens, it’s bound to be bizarre.
    — Sasha Geffen, Pitchfork, 2 Aug. 2026
  • Former Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Harrison Bader's San Francisco Giants season has ended prematurely due to a bizarre scooter accident.
    — Peter Chawaga, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of bizarre
Adjective
  • Open the requisition on a Monday and the number is already absurd.
    — Vibhas Ratanjee, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026
  • Their air of slightly absurd quasi-spontaneity is nicely amplified by the jittery yet unobtrusive rhythms of the direction and Yost’s editing.
    — Dennis Harvey, Variety, 28 July 2026
Definition of absurd

Browse Nearby Words

incoherences
incoherent
incombustible
See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Theme music by Joshua Stamper ©2006 New Jerusalem Music/ASCAP

Cite this Entry

“Incoherent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/incoherent. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on incoherent

Nglish: Translation of incoherent for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

How long is a jiffy?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
asap street sign
Figure Out These Acronyms ASAP You don't have to be a NASA engineer to get these...
See All