UNINTELLIGIBLE Synonyms: 61 Similar and Opposite Words

unintelligible

adjective

ˌən-in-ˈte-lə-jə-bəl

Definition of unintelligible

as in incomprehensible

impossible to understand uttered only a string of unintelligible murmurs

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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 unintelligible 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, 16 June 2026 Brig is in the Upper Valais, a gaunt and conservative place where the inhabitants speak Walliser German, an Alpine dialect that many Swiss people find unintelligible. — Sam Knight, New Yorker, 1 June 2026 The man responded, but his words are unintelligible in the recording. — Charlotte Observer, 20 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for unintelligible

Recent Examples of Synonyms for unintelligible

Adjective

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

Definition of incomprehensible

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

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
Could something uncanny have occurred during the press screening for Don’t Look Back in Anger that had everyone getting misty?

— Nate Jones, Vulture, 7 Sep. 2026

Definition of uncanny

Adjective

Though the Gallaghers weren’t on hand at the film’s press conference earlier on Saturday to field questions, the band has posted several cryptic teasers on Instagram that have sent fans into detective mode.

— Ellise Shafer, Variety, 5 Sep. 2026
Sasha Farber posted a cryptic photo following his absence from DWTS’ season 35 lineup.

— Leigh Blickley, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of cryptic

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

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