incomprehensible
gb/ɪŋkˌɑmpɹihˈɛnsɪbəl/ us/ɪŋkˌɑmpɹihˈɛnsɪbəl/
B2
English
~ 8500
Senses
0 senses
adjective
formal
B2
property
1
impossible or extremely hard to understand
So hard to understand that you almost or completely cannot understand it.
Usage pattern:
[something] is incomprehensible (to [someone])
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use *incomprehensible* where *unbelievable* or *amazing* would be more natural. *Incomprehensible* focuses on something being impossible or extremely hard to understand, not on it being surprising or impressive. Another common mistake is saying *incomprehensible for me* instead of the more natural *incomprehensible to me*.
Synonyms
unintelligible (Focuses on language or sound that cannot be understood at all.)
|
impenetrable (Often used for very dense or complex texts that are hard to understand.)
|
confusing (Weaker and more informal; suggests difficulty but not complete impossibility.)
Antonyms
clear (Easy to understand with no confusion.)
|
understandable (Can be understood without too much difficulty.)
Collocations
almost incomprehensible
|completely incomprehensible
|incomprehensible to [someone]
|incomprehensible jargon
|incomprehensible instructions
Themes
communication
|thinking
|education
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The instructions for the software were so badly written that they were almost incomprehensible.
- His accent made some of his words incomprehensible to the audience.
- The legal contract is full of incomprehensible jargon that ordinary people cannot follow.
- To a non-specialist, the article on quantum physics is virtually incomprehensible.
- Her handwriting was incomprehensible, and nobody could read the note.
Learner examples
- The movie was fun, but the story was incomprehensible.
- This text is incomprehensible to me because it uses many difficult words.
- The teacher spoke so fast that his English was incomprehensible.
- The rules are incomprehensible, so the players are very confused.
- Without a map, the train system is incomprehensible for visitors.
adjective
formal
C1
property
2
impossible to accept or believe
So shocking or wrong that you cannot believe it or understand why it happened.
Usage pattern:
it is incomprehensible (that [clause]) / [something] is incomprehensible to [someone]
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this emotional or moral sense with the purely intellectual sense in which something is hard to understand. In this meaning, *incomprehensible* often appears with clauses introduced by *that* or *how* (e.g., *It is incomprehensible that they left*), and it usually expresses moral shock or strong disapproval.
Synonyms
unthinkable (Emphasizes that something is so shocking or wrong that people feel it should not even be considered.)
|
unfathomable (Stresses emotional or moral depth that cannot be grasped or explained.)
Antonyms
reasonable (Describes something that makes sense and can be accepted or justified.)
|
acceptable (Focuses on something being morally or socially okay.)
Collocations
morally incomprehensible
|politically incomprehensible
|it is incomprehensible that
|incomprehensible decision
|incomprehensible cruelty
Themes
emotions
|ethics
|society
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- To many people, it is incomprehensible that such cruelty could occur in a modern society.
- The judge called the company’s decision to hide the safety risks completely incomprehensible.
- I find it incomprehensible that they would ignore all the scientific evidence.
- Her sudden resignation was incomprehensible to colleagues who had just seen her promoted.
- It remains incomprehensible to the victims’ families that no one has been held responsible.
Learner examples
- It is incomprehensible to me that he lied to his best friend.
- The violence in the city is incomprehensible to many people.
- She says it is incomprehensible that the problem was not fixed earlier.
- His choice to leave his children is incomprehensible for his parents.
- Many fans found the team’s decision incomprehensible.
Grammar
Dictionary form
incomprehensible
IPA
GB/ɪŋkˌɑmpɹihˈɛnsɪbəl/
US/ɪŋkˌɑmpɹihˈɛnsɪbəl/
Syllables & stress
in - com - pre - hens - ible (5 syllables)
Stress on 4th syllable (hens)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: incomprehensible
Word family
Core family
Negative and opposite forms
incomprehensibly
adverb
incomprehension
noun
Related words
comprehensive
adjective B2
comprehensively
adverb
Advanced or less common
comprehensibility
noun
incomprehensibility
noun
Expressions
No expressions linked to this entry yet.