English vocabulary · C1
Inscrutable
/ɪnˈskruː.tə.bəl/ · adj.
It means impossible to read or understand. You cannot tell what a person thinks or feels by looking at them.
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Example sentences
- Her inscrutable smile gave nothing away.
- The judge's inscrutable face made everyone nervous.
Word origin and roots
from Latin
- in — not (from Latin)
- scrut — examine (from Latin)
Synonyms and nuances
- MYSTERIOUS — hard to explain or know (General & Broad)
- UNREADABLE — impossible to read (Face & Expression)
- OPAQUE — not clear or easy to understand (Ideas & Language)
Words with the same root
scrut — examine
- scrutiny — very careful and close examination
- scrutinize — to look at something very carefully
Lesson notes
Inscrutable. It means impossible to read or understand. You cannot tell what a person thinks or feels by looking at them.
Similar words are mysterious, unreadable, and opaque. Use inscrutable when a person's face or thoughts cannot be read at all.
Her inscrutable smile gave nothing away. The judge's inscrutable face made everyone nervous.
From Latin. in- means not. Scrut- means examine. A face you cannot examine or read — that is inscrutable.