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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 War of the Worlds fuses post-9/11 paranoia and the terror of parenting to create one of Spielberg’s most thrilling blockbusters with a dark, genuinely scary atmosphere of ordinary people being wiped out by incomprehensible tragedy. — Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 21 Aug. 2026 Farnaby’s character, a thickly-accented and mostly-incomprehensible farmer, was, of course, called Barry. — Alex Ritman, Variety, 7 Aug. 2026 The scale of the commercial-military symbiosis between Washington and Silicon Valley is almost incomprehensible. — Alex Capri, Fortune, 4 Aug. 2026 But given the profundity of her subject matter and the near-universal awe her art inspires, perhaps this sense of futility gestures at the incomprehensible, even transcendent aura around Petviashvili’s works. — The Editors Of Artnews, ARTnews.com, 28 July 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
  • 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
  • Incomplete, corrupted, untimely, or unintelligible Submissions or Submission Forms will be disqualified.
    — August 16, NPR, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of unintelligible
Adjective
  • In crucial moments the music fleetingly becomes mysterious, even ominous, with minor-key harmonies and a twisting vocal turn doubled by the bass line of the piano part.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 Sep. 2026
  • These three mysterious elements of the cosmos have played a vital role in the evolution of large-scale cosmic structures like galaxies and galaxy clusters.
    — Robert Lea, Space.com, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of mysterious
Adjective
  • Even for outdoor enthusiasts, the magnitude of destruction wrought by nature’s fury seemed unfathomable.
    — Holly Yan, CNN Money, 1 Sep. 2026
  • On behalf of myself, our staff, and the Board of Directors, we are entirely devastated by this unfathomable loss to Country Music and the entire world.
    — Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of unfathomable
Adjective
  • Her coaching staff has worn IM8 swag, though things can get confusing because her coach, Anton Dubrov, is now part of the Eight Sleep team.
    — Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
  • The decade-long fight — including the defeat of county efforts to keep the sand open to all, flip-flopping state laws and landowner lawsuits — has left beachgoers to navigate a confusing patchwork of beach access.
    — Debbie Elliott, NPR, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of confusing
Adjective
  • Each one of her novels presents a different setting and dynamic, but her oeuvre is unified by careful thought, sharp style, and an uncanny ability to make the pages want to turn.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 9 Sep. 2026
  • To trace the bloc of states where over 50% of religious congregation members were Baptist or Methodist was to trace the region’s boundaries with uncanny precision.
    — John Hayes, The Conversation, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of uncanny
Adjective
  • Both are craftsmen, interested in immediate emotional response over esoteric scholarly unpacking.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026
  • That's an important, if esoteric, distinction, as Asus already claimed the first RGB OLED gaming monitor (the ROG Swift PG34WCDN), and LG called dibs on the world’s first 39-inch 5K2K OLED gaming monitor with the GX9.
    — Zackery Cuevas, PC Magazine, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of esoteric
Adjective
  • David Gordon Green directs the film, which follows two FBI agents investigating a seemingly impossible murder within the impenetrable walls of a maximum-security prison.
    — Angelique Jackson, Variety, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Child safety experts lauded the settlement and the accompanying pressure campaign as a giant leap forward in the effort to regulate an industry that until this year appeared all but impenetrable to reform, either from the courts or legislatures.
    — Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of impenetrable
Adjective
  • Last month, Vance hurled himself into an obscure debate over burrito prices to make a gratuitous swipe at a conservative Washington Post columnist’s weight.
    — Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Beneath the cringe internet overshare was a welcome indication that the vaginal microbiome has finally moved from an obscure area of medical research into mainstream conversation.
    — Amy Francombe, Vogue, 4 Sep. 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 16 Sep. 2026.

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