unintelligible

[uhn-in-tel-i-juh-buhl]

See more synonyms for unintelligible on Thesaurus.com

adjective

not intelligible; not capable of being understood.

Origin of unintelligible

First recorded in 1610–20; un-¹ + intelligible

Related formsun·in·tel·li·gi·bil·i·ty, un·in·tel·li·gi·ble·ness, nounun·in·tel·li·gi·bly, adverb

Can be confusedunintelligent unintelligible

Synonyms

See more synonyms for on Thesaurus.com

incomprehensible, baffling, undecipherable.

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

Examples from the Web for unintelligible

Contemporary Examples

The Thompsons, while goofy and simple and often unintelligible, really and truly loved each other.
The Shocking Rise and Fall of ‘Honey Boo Boo’
Kevin Fallon
October 24, 2014
But in this case, their anger could end up amounting to more than just an unintelligible rant on Twitter.
Democrats, You Better Get Angry or You’ll Lose Congress
Dean Obeidallah
April 23, 2014
The microphones in the chamber were off so that what she was saying was unintelligible on the floor and to viewers on C-SPAN.
Stenographer Starts Shouting During Debt Limit Vote
Ben Jacobs
October 17, 2013
The microphones in the chamber were off during the vote so that what she was saying was unintelligible on the floor.
Inside the GOP Surrender
Ben Jacobs
October 17, 2013
For all of the breathless, unintelligible talk about the Higgs, think of it this way.
The Higgs Boson: Why You Should Care
Daniel Stone
July 6, 2012

Historical Examples

Evelyn made some incoherent response, unintelligible to Grace.
Grace Harlowe's Return to Overton Campus
Jessie Graham Flower
"All this is unintelligible to me," responded my guide, with indifference.
A Virtuoso's Collection (From "Mosses From An Old Manse")
Nathaniel Hawthorne
Let us now listen to a conversation which we hope will not be quite so unintelligible.
Tales And Novels, Volume 4 (of 10)
Maria Edgeworth
Every proposition, which is not true, is there confused and unintelligible.
An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding
David Hume
My principle vindicates God from unintelligible abstractions.
Slavery Ordained of God
Rev. Fred A. Ross, D.D.

British Dictionary definitions for unintelligible

unintelligible

adjective

not able to be understood; incomprehensible

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

Word Origin and History for unintelligible

adj.

1610s, "incapable of being understood," from un- (1) "not" + intelligible. Related: Unintelligibly.

unintelligible

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}unintelligible

Synonyms

Related Words

Examples from the Web for unintelligible

Contemporary Examples

The Thompsons, while goofy and simple and often unintelligible, really and truly loved each other.

But in this case, their anger could end up amounting to more than just an unintelligible rant on Twitter.

The microphones in the chamber were off so that what she was saying was unintelligible on the floor and to viewers on C-SPAN.

The microphones in the chamber were off during the vote so that what she was saying was unintelligible on the floor.

For all of the breathless, unintelligible talk about the Higgs, think of it this way.

Historical Examples

Evelyn made some incoherent response, unintelligible to Grace.

"All this is unintelligible to me," responded my guide, with indifference.

Let us now listen to a conversation which we hope will not be quite so unintelligible.

Every proposition, which is not true, is there confused and unintelligible.

My principle vindicates God from unintelligible abstractions.

unintelligible

Word Origin and History for unintelligible

adj.

Origin of unintelligible