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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
  • 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
  • These mysterious features are a bunch of broad, shallow pits scattered across the Martian bedrock.
    — Chelsea Gohd, Space.com, 15 Sep. 2026
  • But his plans are turned upside down by a mysterious announcement signed by Lupin, that multiple museums are to be hit with simultaneous heists.
    — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 14 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
  • Here, those extra voices vastly outnumber the two main characters, leading to a profusion of confusing subplots that stray away from the main themes.
    — Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Vaccines increasingly feel like a high-stakes decision – but with increasingly confusing and contradictory public health information.
    — Jennifer Reich, The Conversation, 17 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
  • Another challenge is that though the Langlands program is sweeping and unifying, the mathematical correspondences themselves are excruciatingly specific and esoteric.
    — Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Both are craftsmen, interested in immediate emotional response over esoteric scholarly unpacking.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of esoteric
Adjective
  • Director Padraic McKinley’s debut feature stars Ethan Hawke as a battle-scarred veteran hired to smuggle a fortune in gold across 100 miles of impenetrable wilderness.
    — Payton Turkeltaub, Variety, 19 Sep. 2026
  • For most of our history as a country, and certainly in the post-World War II nuclear era, our borders felt impenetrable.
    — Michael Silver, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of impenetrable
Adjective
  • This includes sourcing suppliers for obscure or discontinued parts.
    — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 19 Sep. 2026
  • The Venezuelan government granted an obscure private oil company, North American Blue Energy Partners, concessions to develop those reserves.
    — Spencer Kimball, CNBC, 16 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 21 Sep. 2026.

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