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Synonyms

incomprehensible

American  
[in-kom-pri-hen-suh-buhl, in-kom-] / ˌɪn kɒm prɪˈhɛn sə bəl, ɪnˌkɒm- /

adjective

  1. impossible to understand or comprehend; unintelligible.

    Synonyms:
    obscure, bewildering, baffling

  2. Archaic. limitless; not limited or capable of being limited.

incomprehensible British  
/ ɪnˌkɒm-, ˌɪnkɒmprɪˈhɛnsəbəl /

adjective

  1. incapable of being understood; unintelligible

  2. archaic limitless; boundless

"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

Other Word Forms

  • incomprehensibility noun
  • incomprehensibleness noun
  • incomprehensibly adverb
  • superincomprehensible adjective
  • superincomprehensibleness noun
  • superincomprehensibly adverb

Etymology

Origin of incomprehensible

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

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The artificial-intelligence investment theme can include a lot of hype about demand, colorful language about the future of work, incomprehensible descriptions of computing power, and technical jargon that would test even the nerdiest of experts.

From Barron's • Feb. 6, 2026

“We are grieving as a family over this incomprehensible tragic accident and we grieve the loss of our beloved grandson, Anthony,” they said at the time.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 5, 2026

Not helping matters were the show’s taped introductions to the segments—breathy readings, delivered with mushy diction, of incomprehensible poems by Monty Richthofen.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 20, 2026

As both the new “Vanderpump” and the still-shuttered “RHONY” suggest, viewers don’t come to Bravo’s programming for character archetypes and pervasive yet incomprehensible “drama.”

From Salon • Dec. 2, 2025

It was rumored by many that Bibi conversed with herself in a fluent but totally incomprehensible language, and slept without dreams.

From "Interpreter of Maladies" by Jhumpa Lahiri

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.