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
  • Yeoh plays Olwen, a replicant Blade Runner nearing the end of her life, who partners with Schafer’s Cora, a mysterious new recruit.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 7 Oct. 2026
  • New research suggests the ‘world’s most mysterious manuscript,’ of unknown provenance, made in the Middle Ages (1404–38), is being read all wrong, reports The Guardian.
    — Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of mysterious
Adjective
  • The Baltimore Ravens were in a goal-to-go setting, trailing 23-15 and needing to do the statistically unfathomable — according to CBS, teams behind by 8-plus points inside the final minute had lost 581 straight games.
    — Daniel Flick, AJC.com, 12 Oct. 2026
  • From 2021 through last season, the Knicks boasted an unfathomable 18-2 record against their Eastern Conference counterpart Washington Wizards.
    — Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of unfathomable
Adjective
  • The slightly confusing part is that the star at that corner, Alpheratz, belongs to Andromeda rather than Pegasus.
    — Jamie Carter, Space.com, 9 Oct. 2026
  • And in another confusing fact, somehow, Wall Street wasn’t nominated for Best Picture, nor was Oliver Stone for directing.
    — Michael Douglas, Deadline, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of confusing
Adjective
  • Its obvious artificiality and absurdity fit neatly into an online meme culture that often revels in the uncanny.
    — Angela Yang, NBC news, 7 Oct. 2026
  • All of this is part of Flanagan’s general preference for giving characters the benefit of the doubt and for grounding the eerie and the uncanny in our lived experiences.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 6 Oct. 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
  • Medical bills are often impenetrable documents littered with complex codes and terminology, and sorting through charges and details about insurance coverage can feel intimidating, if not downright paralyzing.
    — Jennifer Schlinger, The Conversation, 6 Oct. 2026
  • The San Juans are among the most impenetrable mountains in the West.
    — Peter Hessler, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of impenetrable
Adjective
  • But there isn’t even a word for what happened Friday when a once-obscure board canceled a meeting to decide the future of homeless services in Los Angeles because too many people came to vote.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 10 Oct. 2026
  • Ivey and his partner persuaded the Crockfords dealer to rotate the high-value cards 180 degrees before shuffling them back into the pack, citing some obscure superstition as justification.
    — Kit Chellel, Fortune, 5 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 13 Oct. 2026.

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