Synonyms for inscrutable
- adjective
Most common
mysterious incomprehensible inexplicable unfathomable insensible
All synonyms
Adjective
1. Incomprehensible
incomprehensible, mysterious, inexplicable, unfathomable, impenetrable, unknowable, unintelligible, obscure, cryptic, mystifying, unaccountable, mystic, profound, unexplainable, deep, insolvable, incognizable, incognisable UK, undiscoverable, tenebrose, cryptical, enigmatic, abstruse formal
Other
insensible, unsearchable dated
Definitions
- adj. 1
Difficult or impossible to comprehend, fathom, or interpret.
His inscrutable theories would years later become the foundation of a whole new science.
Example sentences
- mysterious A mysterious spaceship was flying away from Earth.
- incomprehensible This language is incomprehensible to me when spoken.
- inexplicable There was something inexplicable about the story.
- unfathomable It is just unfathomable to even think about.
- insensible You seem to be insensible of their good intentions.
Popularity over time
| Word | 1850 → 2019 | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| inscrutable | rising | |
| mysterious | rising | |
| incomprehensible | rising | |
| inexplicable | rising | |
| unfathomable | rising | |
| insensible | steady |
Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.
By length
- 4 letters
- deep1
- 6 letters
- mystic2
- 7 letters
- obscure2, cryptic2
- 8 letters
- profound2, abstruse2
- 9 letters
- enigmatic4, tenebrose, cryptical
- 10 letters
- mysterious4, unknowable4, mystifying4, insensible4, insolvable
- 12 letters
- inexplicable5, impenetrable5, unfathomable5, unsearchable, incognizable, incognisable
- 13 letters
- unaccountable5, unexplainable5
- 14 letters
- unintelligible6, undiscoverable
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (mystic2 = 2 syllables).