unintelligible

unintelligible — 形容詞

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

1.形容詞B2
釋義

無法理解

無法被理解的；聽不清楚的

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.

例句

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

Diego 覺得貨運司機的紙條幾乎無法理解，但還是勉強看出了公寓號碼。

collocation: almost unintelligible

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

Aoi 的講座錄音因為工地背景噪音而完全無法理解。

pattern: unintelligible because of [obstacle]

同義詞
  • 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

反義詞
  • intelligible

    Direct opposite; clear enough to be understood

  • clear

    General opposite; easy to understand or follow

文法句型

be + unintelligible

unintelligible + noun

unintelligible to + person

用法筆記

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').

常見錯誤

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