incomprehensible

adjective

(ˌ)in-ˌkäm-pri-ˈhen(t)-sə-bəl How to pronounce incomprehensible (audio)
Definition of incomprehensiblenext
as in unintelligible
impossible to understand rocket science is incomprehensible to most people

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 incomprehensible This city is already a freaky liminal space full of snaking pathways that are almost incomprehensible. — Jordan Minor, PC Magazine, 18 Sep. 2026 Eventually, my mother comes downstairs again and puts her arms around him and holds him, whispering something to him, words that to me are meaningless and incomprehensible. — Literary Hub, 17 Sep. 2026 Running parallel to this butchery investigation is the arrival of perpetually hungover FBI agent Gwen Birgssen, played by British actress Lily James with an incomprehensible southern drawl and some clunky platitudes that veer into genre parody. — Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 16 Sep. 2026 Of all the awful plays the Carolina defense made Sunday in a 59-37 loss to the Chicago Bears, two of the most incomprehensible came from one of their best and smartest players. — Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 13 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for incomprehensible
Recent Examples of Synonyms for incomprehensible
  1. unintelligible
  2. mysterious
  3. unfathomable
  4. confusing
  5. uncanny
  6. esoteric
  7. impenetrable
  8. obscure
Adjective
  • Then Mikayla makes an almost unintelligible crack about Doug, which sends Taylor back into a rage spiral.
    — Kathleen Walsh, Vulture, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Assuming viewers understood the history of English soccer — or even the offside rule — could make the broadcasts unintelligible for new fans who understood neither.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of unintelligible
Adjective
  • Jesse Plemons is superb as his mysterious Kenny becomes a key player in all this, and there is also exemplary work from Emma D’Arcy as Lina, Digger’s ever-faithful assistant, and Sophie Wilde who watches over the action with a keen eye.
    — Pete Hammond, Deadline, 29 Sep. 2026
  • But key details of this profound primordial transition, such as its threshold energy and density, have remained deeply mysterious.
    — Clara Moskowitz, Scientific American, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of mysterious
Adjective
  • And given Lambert’s own experiences, might even seem unfathomable.
    — Katie McCurdy, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2026
  • That might seem almost unfathomable to anyone familiar with the last few years of FSU football, but there's still the lingering questions of Norvell's buyout now coupled with a new AD trying to get his footing in an absolute mess of a situation.
    — Austin Perry OutKick, FOXNews.com, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of unfathomable
Adjective
  • Letting go of genre might sound confusing when the album’s named Popstar, but to Tinashe, a pop star is so much more than a genre label.
    — Nicole Fell, HollywoodReporter, 2 Oct. 2026
  • In recent years, homeowners, developers and businesses have complained that navigating the Planning Department can be complicating and confusing.
    — Jack Flemming, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of confusing
Adjective
  • Books that get called weird girl lit tend to deal in uncanny or dreamlike circumstances.
    — Abby McCarter, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Phoebe Bridgers, in her first film role, pulls off an uncanny transformation as a decoy who bends lines of age and gender.
    — Joe Reid, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of uncanny
Adjective
  • But then Mehmet is let go from his job teaching esoteric music practices to university students and the household’s sole steady source of income is gone.
    — Jessica Kiang, Variety, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Some say the public backlash to AI, and OpenAI, is partly because messaging from the leading labs can be esoteric, rather than grounded in the day-to-day benefits of AI, and in some cases, downright frightening.
    — Emily Forlini, Fortune, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of esoteric
Adjective
  • The San Juans are among the most impenetrable mountains in the West.
    — Peter Hessler, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Yet the very top echelon remains for the most part impenetrable.
    — Emma Hinchliffe, Fortune, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of impenetrable
Adjective
  • Other researchers were hunting the agents online and finding traces of them on obscure message boards.
    — Gerrit De Vynck, Washington Post, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Akhtar is at his best here because the sensations remain vivid even when their significance is obscure.
    — Zain Khalid, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of obscure

Browse Nearby Words

incomprehensibility
incomprehensible
incomprehensibleness
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Cite this Entry

“Incomprehensible.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/incomprehensible. Accessed 6 Oct. 2026.

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