unintelligible
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of unintelligible
First recorded in 1610–20; un- 1 + intelligible
Explanation
Something unintelligible is difficult to understand, either because the room is too noisy or because the unintelligible thing is too quiet or confusing. We use our intelligence to understand things, and something intelligible is easy to understand. Therefore, unintelligible things are hard to understand. A coded message is unintelligible if you don't know the code. A whisper in a loud room is unintelligible. A weird sentence like "The waffles ran away from the Easter basket" is unintelligible because it doesn't make any sense. If you can't hear or understand something, it's unintelligible (and probably frustrating too).
Vocabulary lists containing unintelligible
"The Crucible" -- Vocabulary from all 4 Acts
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"The Crucible" -- Vocabulary from Act 3
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Our Town
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
I've heard more than once that my Spanish is unintelligible, the same criticism some people level at Bad Bunny's songs.
From BBC • Feb. 10, 2026
As last year’s wildfires multiplied, still 0% contained, field reporters — tasked with articulating the unintelligible on camera — grieved alongside Los Angeles in real time.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 5, 2026
Properly gauging product categories, individual relations, and cost calculations takes up a whopping amount of pages, complete with all kinds of jargon unintelligible to the lay consumer.
From Slate • Apr. 2, 2025
For example, during a rally in Montana on Friday, Trump appears to “glitch” and pause as he searches for words and then makes unintelligible noises and strange utterances.
From Salon • Aug. 13, 2024
As soon as the whole company was assembled, standing in a wide circle round Treebeard, a curious and unintelligible conversation began.
From "The Two Towers" by J. R. R. Tolkien
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.
