inarticulate

[ in-ahr-tik-yuh-lit ]
See synonyms for: inarticulateinarticulateness on Thesaurus.com

adjective
  1. lacking the ability to express oneself, especially in clear and effective speech: an inarticulate public speaker.

  2. unable to use articulate speech: inarticulate with rage.

  1. not articulate; not uttered or emitted with expressive or intelligible modulations: His mouth stuffed, he could utter only inarticulate sounds.

  2. not fully expressed or expressible: a voice choked with inarticulate agony.

  3. Anatomy, Zoology. not jointed; having no articulation or joint.

Origin of inarticulate

1
From the Late Latin word inarticulātus, dating back to 1595–1605. See in-3, articulate

Other words for inarticulate

Other words from inarticulate

  • in·ar·tic·u·late·ly, adverb
  • in·ar·tic·u·late·ness, noun

Words Nearby inarticulate

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use inarticulate in a sentence

  • Bernard folded his hands together—almost devoutly—and stood gazing at her with a long, inarticulate murmur of satisfaction.

    Confidence | Henry James
  • Never had Tom seen his gay and careless cousin in such guise: he was restless, silent, intense and inarticulate.

    The Wave | Algernon Blackwood
  • But also it was an inarticulate yearning to find that state of safety where he and she dwelt secure from separation—in the 'sea.'

    The Wave | Algernon Blackwood
  • Shrieking inarticulate anathema, he rushed downstairs, the man in the green baize apron following at his heels.

  • Down the long corridors the wind mysteriously whispered, rising in inarticulate moanings and woeful sighs, as of souls in pain.

    The Catacombs of Rome | William Henry Withrow

British Dictionary definitions for inarticulate

inarticulate

/ (ˌɪnɑːˈtɪkjʊlɪt) /


adjective
  1. unable to express oneself fluently or clearly; incoherent

  2. (of speech, language, etc) unclear or incomprehensible; unintelligible: inarticulate grunts

  1. unable to speak; dumb

  2. unable to be expressed; unvoiced: inarticulate suffering

  3. biology having no joints, segments, or articulation

Derived forms of inarticulate

  • inarticulately, adverb
  • inarticulateness or inarticulacy, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012