Incomprehensible: meaning, definitions and examples

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incomprehensible

 

[ ˌɪnkɒmprɪˈhɛnsɪb(ə)l ]

Adjective
Context #1 | Adjective

in conversation

Not able to be understood; confusing or unclear.

Synonyms

confusing, cryptic, unclear, unintelligible.

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Word Description / Examples
incomprehensible

Used to describe something that cannot be understood due to complexity or lack of clarity.

  • The technical manual was incomprehensible to most people.
  • His speech was so fast it became incomprehensible.
unintelligible

Used to describe spoken or written words that cannot be understood, often due to poor communication.

  • Her handwriting was unintelligible.
  • The announcement was unintelligible due to the poor sound system.
confusing

Used when something is difficult to follow or makes someone feel uncertain.

  • The instructions on the package were very confusing.
  • The movie's plot was confusing and hard to keep up with.
unclear

Describes something that lacks clarity or is not well defined.

  • The directions he gave were unclear.
  • It's still unclear what caused the accident.
cryptic

Often used for messages or statements that are deliberately mysterious or obscure.

  • He left a cryptic note explaining his departure.
  • The professor's comment was cryptic and left the students puzzled.

Examples of usage

  • It was an incomprehensible speech that left the audience puzzled.
  • The instructions were so incomprehensible that I couldn't figure out how to assemble the furniture.
  • His handwriting is so messy that it's almost incomprehensible.
  • The complexity of the situation made it incomprehensible to the average person.
  • The technical jargon used in the report was incomprehensible to those without a background in the field.

Translations

Translations of the word "incomprehensible" in other languages:

🇵🇹 incompreensível

🇮🇳 असमझ

🇩🇪 unverständlich

🇮🇩 tidak dapat dipahami

🇺🇦 незрозумілий

🇵🇱 niezrozumiały

🇯🇵 理解不能な

🇫🇷 incompréhensible

🇪🇸 incomprensible

🇹🇷 anlaşılmaz

🇰🇷 이해할 수 없는

🇸🇦 غير مفهوم

🇨🇿 nepochopitelný

🇸🇰 nepochopiteľný

🇨🇳 难以理解的

🇸🇮 nerazumljiv

🇮🇸 óskiljanlegur

🇰🇿 түсініксіз

🇬🇪 გაუგებარი

🇦🇿 anlaşılmaz

🇲🇽 incomprensible

Etymology

The word 'incomprehensible' originated from the Latin word 'incomprehensibilis', which is a combination of 'in-' (not) and 'comprehendere' (to understand). It first appeared in the English language in the early 15th century. Over time, 'incomprehensible' has been used to describe things that are difficult to understand or make sense of, leading to its current meaning.

See also: comprehend, comprehended, comprehending, comprehendingly, comprehensibility, comprehensible, comprehension, comprehensive, comprehensiveness, incomprehensibility, incomprehensibly.

Word Frequency Rank

At position #13,172, this word is part of sophisticated English vocabulary. It's useful for academic or professional contexts where precise language is needed.