inscrutable

in·scru·ta·ble
[in;skro;od;b(;)l]
adjective
impossible to understand or interpret:
"Guy looked blankly inscrutable"
Similar:
enigmatic
unreadable
impenetrable
mysterious
cryptic
unexpressive
inexpressive
emotionless

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inscrutable
adjective
in·;scru·;ta·;ble in-;skr;-t;-b;l
Synonyms of inscrutable
: not readily investigated, interpreted, or understood : MYSTERIOUS
an inscrutable smile
inscrutable motives
inscrutability
in-;skr;-t;-;bi-l;-t;
 noun
inscrutableness
in-;skr;-t;-b;l-n;s
 noun
inscrutably
in-;skr;-t;-bl;
 adverb



Did you know?
Scrutinizing the inscrutable may be futile: even close scrutiny can fail to decipher it. Scrutinizing the scrutable, on the other hand, is likely to yield some understanding. All of these scrut- words have the same Latin root: scrutari, meaning “to search or examine.” While scrutiny, scrutinize, and inscrutable all prove themselves useful in everyday discourse, English speakers don’t tend to call much on scrutable, which functions as a synonym of comprehensible.


Synonyms
arcane
cryptic
deep
enigmatic
enigmatical
impenetrable
mysterious
mystic
occult
uncanny

Examples of inscrutable in a Sentence
Supersymmetry is a magic mirror, and everything in what we imagine to be the real world has its ghostly, inscrutable mirror image.
—Ian Stewart, Prospect, September 2003
Of all the myths that have grown up around Alan Greenspan, the most powerful is the idea that he's willfully inscrutable.
—James Surowiecki, New Yorker, 22 Jan. 2001
That wily politicians might adopt Franklin's distinction between appearance and reality to become inscrutable confidence men did not seem to trouble him.
—John H. Summers, Journal of American History, December 2000
an inscrutable work of art
He was a quiet, inscrutable man.
Recent Examples on the Web
Final Thoughts More than ever before, AI can now be used to translate inscrutable ESG values into trackable and concrete steps that corporations can take in this new world of corporate accountability.
—Carlo Tortora Brayda, Forbes, 16 Feb. 2024
Her character’s inscrutable mien keeps John and the audience a little off-balance, though Erskine reveals glimmers of emotional desolation in Jane’s steady gaze.
—Kristen Baldwin, EW.com, 1 Feb. 2024
But time and again, Carol proves to be an inscrutable hero.
—Stephanie Merry, Sacramento Bee, 31 Jan. 2024
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'inscrutable.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.



Word History
Etymology
Middle English, from Late Latin inscrutabilis, from Latin in- + scrutari to search — more at SCRUTINY

First Known Use
15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of inscrutable was in the 15th century
See more words from the same century

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unergruendlich

un­er­gr;nd­lich

Bedeutungen (2)
sich nicht ergruenden lassend; unerklaerlich, undurchschaubar [und daher raetselhaft, geheimnisvoll]
BEISPIELE
unergruendliche Motive, Zusammenhaenge
ein unergruendliches Raetsel, Geheimnis
ein unergruendliches Laecheln
ein unergruendlicher Blick
es wird unergruendlich bleiben, wie das geschehen konnte
so tief, dass ein (fester) Untergrund, Boden nicht erkennbar, spuerbar ist
Gebrauch
veraltend
BEISPIELE
das unergruendliche Meer
sie versanken in einem unergruendlichen Morast

Synonyme zu unergruendlich
dunkel, ein Raetsel, mysterioes, mystisch
;
Zur Uebersicht der Synonyme zu un­er­gruend­lich