SYNONYMS AND RELATED EXPRESSIONS
inexplicable
adjective
Difficult or impossible to explain.
Local English device voice, when available. This is not a recorded dictionary pronunciation.
Without an explanation
Closest synonyms
Related words and expressions
These extend or explain the idea and may require a different sentence structure.
Usage distinction
Return to topInexplicable concerns why something occurred; incomprehensible can instead concern the difficulty of understanding a message.
CHECK THE MEANING IN CONTEXT
See inexplicable in use
The missing page remained an inexplicable gap in the archive.
The reflection ceased to be inexplicable once the volunteers traced its source, but the room retained its surreal quality. The designer welcomed that distinction: an effect could feel dreamlike without being beyond explanation.
Compare an alternative with the original word in each passage. Shared meanings do not make every pair interchangeable.
Synonym reference scope and sources
The groups distinguish the senses selected for this study entry. Closest synonyms and broader related expressions have separate labels. The listed sources support lexical selection; not every phrase is a direct quotation from a source.
How the synonym reference was prepared / WordNet 3.0 license