inexplicable
/ˌɪnɪkˈsplɪkəbl/ (bre, ipa) · /ˌɪnɪkˈsplɪkəbl/ (ame, ipa) · /ˌi-nik-ˈspli-kə-bəl (ˌ)i-ˈnek-(ˌ)spli-/ (ame, mw)
inexplicable — adjective
- inexplicablepositive
- more inexplicablecomparative
- most inexplicablesuperlative
1. If a situation, event, or feeling is inexplicable, it is so strange or unusual t
If a situation, event, or feeling is inexplicable, it is so strange or unusual that you cannot find a logical reason for it or understand why it happened.
Hiroshi's decision to quit his job remains inexplicable to his closest friends.
remain + inexplicable + to [someone]
An inexplicable sadness settled over Elena whenever she passed the old railway station.
an inexplicable + [noun]
It is inexplicable why the bridge collapsed hours after the inspection team declared it safe.
Wei found the committee's rejection of the popular proposal utterly inexplicable.
For some inexplicable reason, Fatima's phone rang three times in the night and then stopped.
- mysterious
softer and more common; suggests curiosity and intrigue rather than complete lack of explanation
- baffling
stronger and more informal; emphasizes active confusion and puzzlement
- puzzling
milder; suggests the matter may be solvable with more thought
- unfathomable
more poetic or dramatic; suggests something is so deep or complex that the human mind cannot grasp it
- explicable
direct opposite; formal and less common
- understandable
everyday opposite; suggests a clear reason can be seen
文法句型
remain + inexplicable + to + [someone]
an inexplicable + [noun]
it is inexplicable + that/why/how + clause
find + [something] + inexplicable
用法筆記
Frequently used with linking verbs (remain, seem, appear) rather than alone as a predicate. The pattern 'it is inexplicable that/why/how + clause' is common in formal writing. Distinguish from 'mysterious': 'mysterious' suggests something that arouses curiosity; 'inexplicable' suggests something that defies logical explanation.