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incoherently

incoherently

5 6.7
In a way that is not clear or logical
  • adverb
  • /ˌɪnkoʊˈhɪrəntli/
: incoherentemente
  • Sam had complained about his pain for days before and mumbled incoherently through dreams caused by the Dilaudid.

And when waves are interfering incoherently, they lose energy.

Examples

  • Scenes flashed incoherently through my mind, like glittering fragments of a shattered window pane.

    Fiction book (1997)
  • Three hours later, Brother Golic returned babbling incoherently about some kind of beast.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • Oswald was shouting more incoherently than usual.

    Fiction book (1999)
  • Its owner, whose face I had not yet seen, muttered boozily and incoherently.

    Fiction book (2001)
  • The highly intelligent intern raved incoherently throughout most of the morning.

    Fiction book (1995)
  • Shouting incoherently in English, Mitch fell headlong to the floor, kicking and thrashing.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • The leprechaun turned a bright crimson and spluttered incoherently.

    Fiction book (2000)
  • The black-haired stranger followed, berating them incoherently and waving his hands.

    Fiction book (1994)
  • Arresting officers mention he was speaking incoherently about killing off the jellyfish that in recent years have choked what was once a vibrant fishing industry.

  • One witness reported that the man was speaking incoherently during the incident, making it difficult to understand him.

Synonyms

indistinctly
vsincoherently
5 6.3

Hard to see, hear, or remember clearly

emphasizes broader lack of coherence and logic instead of only vague senses
confusingly
vsincoherently
3 4.0

In a way that makes it hard to understand

means the same unclear quality but also includes broken logic or coherence
incomprehensibly
vsincoherently
2 8.0

It is very hard to understand

means a general failure to be clear, not always total inability to understand
illogically
vsincoherently
1 6.8

In a way that does not follow clear thinking

describes general lack of clarity and coherence beyond merely bad logic
confusedly
vsincoherently
1 4.0

In a way that shows you are not sure or do not understand

indicates general serious lack of coherence and logical sequence beyond mere disorder
bafflingly
vsincoherently
1 7.9

In a way that is hard to understand

signals extreme confusion while the key covers both mild and severe lack of clarity
unintelligibly
vsincoherently
1 8.1

In a way that is very hard to understand

is similar but often includes unclear logic or lack of coherent ordering
unclearly
vsincoherently
1 4.4

Not clear or hard to understand

adds absence of logical order and coherence beyond plain lack of clarity
nonsensically
vsincoherently
1 6.5

In a way that is not logical or clear

focuses specifically on lack of sense, while the key stresses broader confusion
perplexingly
vsincoherently
1 7.9

In a way that makes something hard to understand

carries general lack of clarity but less focus on the puzzling effect
confoundingly
vsincoherently
1 8.4

In a way that is very confusing and hard to understand

expresses confusion but the key also implies missing logical connection between parts
disjointedly
vsincoherently
1 7.3

In a way that is not connected and is hard to follow

emphasizes general lack of clarity and logic rather than only disconnection
indecipherably
vsincoherently
1 8.5

So unclear that people cannot read or understand it

is broader, covering unclear meaning even when the form itself can be read
mistily
vsincoherently
1 7.5

In a way that is unclear and gives no details

applies to general lack of clarity and organization rather than just visual blur
mushily
vsincoherently
1 8.2

In a vague and unclear way

notes the same vagueness but the key also covers broken logical links
unintuitively
vsincoherently
1 8.2

In a way that is hard to understand or does not match what you expect

refers more broadly to incoherent or illogical expression, not only unexpected outcomes
abstrusely
vsincoherently
  • Formal
1 9.9

In a way that makes something hard to understand

relates to general lack of clarity, but the key is not only technical obscurity
undecipherably
vsincoherently
9.8

In a way people cannot read or understand

matches the key in meaning but focuses on the unreadable physical form

Antonyms

71 3.7

You think clearly and sensibly to reach a reasonable answer

6 7.0

In a clear and logical way that shows how parts fit together

How Coherent

coherently
6 7.0
clearly
554 1.0
unclearly
1 4.4
incoherently
5 6.7

Surface Forms

incoherently positive
incoherenter comparative
incoherentest superlative

Morphology

incoherently = incoherent (semi-transparent) = in + cohere + ent + ly

This is a standard adverb formation from the adjective 'incoherent'.

Etymology

Incoherently begins with in- meaning 'not' and comes from cohere (seen in coherent) which means 'to stick together'. So to speak incoherently is to speak in a way that does not 'stick together', and that is why it is hard to understand.