inscrutable

adjective

in·​scru·​ta·​ble in-ˈskrü-tə-bəl How to pronounce inscrutable (audio)
: not readily investigated, interpreted, or understood : mysterious
an inscrutable smile
inscrutable motives
inscrutability noun
inscrutableness noun
inscrutably 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.

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 Smith's distinct offensive approach has been downright inscrutable this season for a unit that ranks 26th in scoring (19 points per game). Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz, USA TODAY, 5 Jan. 2024 Across almost 40 feature films, the aquatic kaiju has gone from inscrutable menace to heroic savior and back again. Robert Rubsam, New York Times, 4 Jan. 2024 While Cottin, largely unknown to American audiences, is inscrutable in the best way, her stern exterior belying her kindly heart. Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 9 Sep. 2023 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 Several other clips of the cringe-inducing appearance made the rounds on social media, showing King improvising the lyrics during the inscrutable delivery. Nardine Saad, Los Angeles Times, 26 Jan. 2024 Artistic and emotional achievements such as John Wick 4, Rebel Moon, All of Us Strangers, The Taste of Things, and Asteroid City lose out to the superficiality of Oppenheimer, Killers of the Flower Moon, and The Zone of Interest and the inscrutable nothingness of Barbie and Poor Things. Armond White, National Review, 19 Jan. 2024

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

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Dictionary Entries Near inscrutable

Cite this Entry

“Inscrutable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inscrutable. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

inscrutable

adjective
in·​scru·​ta·​ble in-ˈskrüt-ə-bəl How to pronounce inscrutable (audio)
: not easily understood : mysterious
an inscrutable expression
inscrutably adverb

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