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

Relevance

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 Being joyful there — in the Dominican Republic, where small shacks and houses pieced together by junkyard scraps sometimes hold families with over a dozen members — seems incomprehensible. — Daniel Flick, AJC.com, 25 June 2026 That principle has crumbled so far in the face of Wembanyama’s combination of incomprehensible on-court abilities, youthful enthusiasm and cosmopolitan-unto-eccentric savoir faire. — Leah Asmelash, CNN Money, 9 June 2026 Europeans, Bennett notes, find this genuinely incomprehensible. — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 11 May 2026 Ashly's death is an incomprehensible tragedy. — Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 6 May 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
  • The world premiere on Sunday – in the presence of Illumination boss Chris Meledandri and director Pierre Coffin, who is also the origin of the minions’ unintelligible chatter – kicks off one of the biggest Annecy Film Festival’s yet.
    — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 19 June 2026
  • The adversaries made for a striking scene, exchanging insults in mutually unintelligible languages in the dead of night.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 June 2026
Definition of unintelligible
Adjective
  • Then there’s the new, mysterious character played by Sadie Sink, introducing a major element of MCU lore that has very little to do with Spider-Man.
    — David Sims, The Atlantic, 30 July 2026
  • And after a few days of searching, law enforcement received a mysterious eyewitness tip.
    — Dateline NBC, NBC news, 30 July 2026
Definition of mysterious
Adjective
  • Google has reported its financial results for the second quarter of 2026 (PDF), and as usual, the search giant raked in an unfathomable amount of money.
    — Ryan Whitwam, ArsTechnica, 23 July 2026
  • When Mina’s closest friend Lucy succumbs to his thrall, the enigmatic Professor Van Helsing is summoned to wage war on this unfathomable threat.
    — Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 22 July 2026
Definition of unfathomable
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
  • Played with tricksy force and a glint of anger in her eyes by Samantha Morton, Circe is at the center of the greatest scene in The Odyssey, one that foregrounds the grandeur and uncanny qualities of myth.
    — Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 27 July 2026
  • Critics have praised this Dalloway riff for its entrancing, uncanny visuals.
    — Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 27 July 2026
Definition of uncanny
Adjective
  • With all that group experience and wealth of individual styles, Play Time try something entirely different for their debut album on the admirably esoteric Balmat label.
    — Reed Jackson, SPIN, 3 July 2026
  • This offers the do-it-yourself warrior a simple, direct route from antiquated lead-acid to state-of-the-art lithium without having to search for esoteric parts online.
    — Malana VanTyler, USA Today, 24 June 2026
Definition of esoteric
Adjective
  • At a time when Disney’s once-impenetrable Marvel Cinematic Universe has been exhibiting concerning signs of wear and tear at the box office, Spider-Man is getting more and more powerful.
    — Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 28 July 2026
  • The Phalanx was composed of men who moved and fought as one cohesive unit, creating an impenetrable wall of interlocking shields.
    — Steve Muscato, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026
Definition of impenetrable
Adjective
  • Perhaps that’s what led to one Manchester United fan to start what must be one of the most obscure player songs in the club’s terrace songbook.
    — Andy Mitten, New York Times, 27 July 2026
  • The article warns that such high valuations, lacking public financial transparency, obscure true value.
    — Jim Osman, Forbes.com, 26 July 2026
Definition of obscure

Browse Nearby Words

incomprehensibility
incomprehensible
incomprehensibleness
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Incomprehensible.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/incomprehensible. Accessed 2 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on incomprehensible

Nglish: Translation of incomprehensible 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'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

Your vs. You're: How to Use Them Correctly
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

The Words of the Week - Jul. 31

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

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
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