unintelligible

unintelligible — adjective

1. When speech, writing, or another sound is described as unintelligible, it means

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

When speech, writing, or another sound is described as unintelligible, it means nobody can understand it at all — the words, meaning, or message are completely lost, usually because the sound is unclear, the handwriting is bad, or the language is unfamiliar.

Example

Diego found the delivery driver's note almost unintelligible, but he read the apartment number.

collocation: almost unintelligible

Aoi's recording of the lecture was unintelligible because of background noise from the construction site.

pattern: unintelligible because of [obstacle]

Common collocations
  • unintelligible speech
  • unintelligible handwriting
  • unintelligible noise
  • unintelligible to [someone]
  • almost unintelligible
  • completely unintelligible
  • entirely unintelligible
  • virtually unintelligible
Synonyms
  • incomprehensible

    More formal; can describe abstract concepts or behaviour, not just speech and writing

  • indecipherable

    Specifically for handwriting, codes, or markings that cannot be read

  • garbled

    Informal; describes distorted speech or data, especially after transmission

  • unclear

    Much milder; means hard to follow but not necessarily impossible

Antonyms
  • intelligible

    Direct opposite; clear enough to be understood

  • clear

    General opposite; easy to understand or follow

Grammar Patterns

be + unintelligible

unintelligible + noun

unintelligible to + person

Usage Note

Frequently modified by intensifying adverbs such as completely, almost, or entirely. The cause of unintelligibility — noise, poor articulation, or unfamiliar language — is typically introduced by because of or due to. When specifying the person who cannot understand, use to (e.g. 'unintelligible to the audience').

Common Mistakes

The instructions were too unintelligible to follow.
The instructions were completely unintelligible.
'unintelligible' already means 'impossible to understand', so 'too unintelligible' is redundant.

Word family

  • unintelligibly
    adverbC1
  • unintelligibility
    nounC1
  • intelligible
    adjectiveB2
  • intelligibly
    adverbB1
  • intelligibility
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

Unintelligible, incomprehensible, indecipherable, garbled, and unclear all describe something that is hard to understand, but they differ in degree and context. Unintelligible is the strongest — it means the message offers no meaning at all, usually because of poor clarity, distortion, or unfamiliarity. Incomprehensible also means impossible to understand, but it often refers to ideas, behaviour, or situations rather than speech or writing (e.g. 'His anger was incomprehensible to me'). Indecipherable is used specifically for handwriting, codes, or markings that cannot be read. Garbled is informal and describes distorted speech or data, especially after transmission (e.g. 'a garbled voicemail'). Unclear is much milder — it means something is hard to follow, but not impossible. For example: 'The radio signal was garbled, making the pilot's message unintelligible, though the general situation was not unclear to the control tower.'

incomprehensibleindecipherablegarbledunclear ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • unintelligible to
  • unintelligible because of
  • unintelligible due to

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

From Latin 'in-' (meaning 'not') plus 'intelligibilis' (meaning 'that can be understood'), which comes from the verb 'intellegere' (to understand). That verb is a combination of 'inter' (between) and 'legere' (to choose or to read), giving an original sense of 'to pick out or distinguish between' things — the first step towards understanding them. The word entered English through French 'intelligible' with the negative prefix added.