Unintelligible

/ˌənˌɪnˈtɛl.ɪ.dʒə.bəl/

Meaning & Definition

adjective

Impossible to understand; incomprehensible.

The speaker's accent was so thick that his words were largely unintelligible.

Not able to be understood; unclear.

The handwriting on the old document was almost unintelligible due to the faded ink.

Difficult to comprehend due to poor articulation or expression.

After the accident, his speech became slurred and unintelligible.

From the prefix 'un-' meaning 'not' and 'intelligible' meaning 'able to be understood'.

lost in translation

Unable to understand something due to language differences or unclear messages.

speechless

Unable to express oneself clearly, often due to emotion or shock.

clear as mud

Something that is very confusing or hard to understand.

intelligible

Able to be understood; clear.

contrast

To show the differences between two or more things.

Difficult to follow or grasp

That lecture was so unintelligible, I have no idea what the professor was saying.

Mumbling or garbled speech

After a few drinks, his words became totally unintelligible.