incomprehensible

[in-kom-pri-hen-suh-buhl, in-kom-]

See more synonyms for incomprehensible on Thesaurus.com

adjective

impossible to understand or comprehend; unintelligible.
Archaic. limitless; not limited or capable of being limited.

Origin of incomprehensible

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English word from Latin word incomprehēnsibilis. See in-³, comprehensible

Related formsin·com·pre·hen·si·bil·i·ty, in·com·pre·hen·si·ble·ness, nounin·com·pre·hen·si·bly, adverbsu·per·in·com·pre·hen·si·ble, adjectivesu·per·in·com·pre·hen·si·ble·ness, nounsu·per·in·com·pre·hen·si·bly, adverb

Synonyms

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1. baffling, bewildering, obscure.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for incomprehensible

Contemporary Examples

He frequently slips into Neapolitan dialect so thick that is incomprehensible.
The Costa Concordia’s Randy Reckless Captain Takes the Stand
Barbie Latza Nadeau
December 2, 2014
The Scottish language is, as all good Third World languages must be, incomprehensible.
Up to a Point: A Free Scotland Would Be a Hilarious Disaster
P. J. O’Rourke
September 13, 2014
Their stories were told again and again in an attempt to assimilate the tragedy, to comprehend the incomprehensible.
The Resilient City: New York After 9/11
John Avlon
September 11, 2014
A former senior advisor to Karzai says that his recent manner of dealing with the BSA has been “incomprehensible for Afghans.”
Afghan Diplomat: The Security Agreement Will Be Signed
Jacob Siegel, Sami Yousafzai
January 31, 2014
When they received an incomprehensible cable from Grenada, they just ignored it.
Remembering The Invasion of Grenada 30 Years On
Michael Ledeen
October 24, 2013

Historical Examples

Is not she the one woman who would have understood the incomprehensible?
Casanova's Homecoming
Arthur Schnitzler
The thing was incomprehensible to Tip, and altogether a fanciful notion.
Little Dorrit
Charles Dickens
There was silence everywhere, and I wondered why, as it seemed to me incomprehensible.
My Double Life
Sarah Bernhardt
The only sound he could raise was an incomprehensible guttural grunt.
The Three Cities Trilogy, Complete
Emile Zola
I lose myself again in trying to understand what is incomprehensible.
Tales And Novels, Volume 8 (of 10)
Maria Edgeworth

British Dictionary definitions for incomprehensible