INDEX:
1. to understand a situation, idea, or what someone is telling you
2. to understand how someone feels
3. to understand each part of a story, explanation etc
4. to understand new facts after studying them
5. to understand the meaning of something in a particular way
6. to begin to understand something
7. when you understand something
8. easy to understand
9. to not understand something correctly
10. to not understand
11. difficult or impossible to understand
RELATED WORDS
see also
↑ REALIZE
↑ LEARN
↑ KNOW/NOT KNOW
↑ CLEAR/NOT CLEAR
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1. to understand a situation, idea, or what someone is telling you
▷ understand /ˌʌndəʳˈstænd/ [intransitive/transitive verb not in progressive]
▪ She spoke slowly and clearly so that everyone could understand.
▪ I didn’t understand the teacher’s instructions.
▪ When he’s old enough to understand, we’ll tell him he’s adopted.
understand what/why/how etc
▪ Ben asked a few questions to make sure he understood what to do.
▪ You don’t need to understand how a computer works to use it.
understand that
▪ The witness said he understood that he was swearing to give true and correct information.
easy/difficult to understand
▪ Computer manuals should be written in a way that is easy to understand.
understand perfectly
understand completely
▪ Don’t worry. I understand perfectly.
fully understand
understand completely
▪ Doctors still do not fully understand the process by which the disease is transmitted.
▷ know what somebody means /ˌnəʊ wɒt somebody ˈmiːnz/ [verb phrase not in progressive]
to understand what someone is telling you, especially if they have not expressed it very clearly :
▪ I don’t think your audience is going to know what you mean by this.
you know what I mean?
say this to check that someone understands you
▪ He seems really sad, you know what I mean?
I know what you mean
say this to show that you understand
▪ ‘It’s a thing you hold pieces of wood in when you’re doing woodwork.’ ‘Oh, I know what you mean -- a vice.’
▷ see /siː/ [intransitive/transitive verb] especially spoken
to understand the truth about a situation, or understand the reasons for something :
see what somebody means
▪ Try it for yourself, and you’ll see what I mean.
see why/how/what etc
▪ I can see why people don’t like him.
I see
say this when you understand what someone has told you
▪ ‘It goes in the red box, here.’ ‘Oh, I see.’
you see
say this when you are explaining something
▪ Well, you see, he’s not really ready to read a book this difficult.
see (that)
▪ Well, I can see that the logic is somehow wrong, but I don’t know why exactly.
see any reason
▪ Can you see any reason why it shouldn’t work?
see the point
understand why something is important
▪ At fourteen, he couldn’t see the point of staying in school.
see somebody’s point
understand the main idea or importance of what someone is saying
▪ I didn’t like his attitude, but I could see his point.
see the joke
British understand why something is funny
▪ He’s just one of those people who never seem to see the joke.
▷ get /get/ [transitive verb not in progressive or passive] spoken
to understand what someone says, what is happening, or why or how something happens :
get it
▪ ‘Do you understand?’ ‘Yeah, we’ve got it,’ one of the drivers replied.
▪ Barbara Howell and her husband, Kenneth (Barbie and Ken, get it?) run a bed-and-breakfast inn.
I don’t get it
▪ Why did you turn down such a fantastic job? I don’t get it.
get a/the joke
understand why something is funny
▪ John told me one of his stupid jokes, and it took me about five minutes to get it.
get the point
understand the main idea or importance of something
▪ I don’t think you get the point. Legally, you must give us this information.
get the idea
▪ The students should get the idea that this is a complex issue, with no easy answers.
get what/why/how etc
▪ I just couldn’t get what he meant.
▷ comprehend /ˌkɒmprɪˈhendǁˌkɑːm-/ [transitive verb] formal
to understand something that is complicated or difficult to understand :
▪ Take the time to read, comprehend, and evaluate the report.
▪ God cannot truly be seen or comprehended by the human mind.
fully comprehend
understand something completely
▪ The significance of the disappearance of the buffalo and the passenger pigeon was not fully comprehended until much later.
▷ grasp /grɑːspǁgræsp/ [transitive verb not in progressive]
to fully understand a fact or an idea, especially one that it is important or difficult to understand :
▪ Obviously, she had barely grasped the subject.
▪ Science lessons should be taught in a way that makes the material easier to grasp.
hard to grasp
▪ Fame has come suddenly, and Peyton is finding it hard to grasp.
grasp that
▪ The army had failed to grasp that their mission was to protect the navy’s ships, not vice versa.
grasp [uncountable noun]
beyond somebody’s grasp
too difficult to understand
▪ Some of the historical nuances are beyond the grasp of most children.
have a grasp of something
▪ Cordell had an impressive grasp of military issues.
▷ make sense of /ˌmeɪk ˈsens ɒv/ [verb phrase]
to understand something that is not clear or easy to understand, especially by spending time thinking about it :
▪ Police are trying to make sense of a bizarre note left by the murderer.
▪ There is so much information that it is difficult to make sense of it all.
▷ get the message /ˌget ðə ˈmesɪdʒ/ [verb phrase] informal
to understand what someone is telling you or what they want you to do, especially after they have told you several times :
▪ Even the Democrats got the message: voters are concerned about taxes.
get the message that
▪ He doesn’t seem to get the message that he’s not welcome here.
▷ get the picture /ˌget ðə ˈpɪktʃəʳ/ [verb phrase] spoken
to understand a situation or arrangement, especially one that someone is explaining to you :
▪ I get the picture. You want me to say you were at my house last night.
▪ We don’t want any trouble tonight. Do you get the picture?
▷ get your head round /get jɔː ˈhed raʊnd/ [verb phrase] British informal
to understand something that is difficult or complicated :
▪ I just couldn’t get my head round geometry at school.
2. to understand how someone feels
▷ understand /ˌʌndəʳˈstænd/ [intransitive/transitive verb]
to understand how someone feels, and feel sympathy for them, especially when they are upset or have problems :
▪ I’m sure your teacher will understand.
understand how/what/why etc
▪ I understand how you feel, but I still think you should apologize to her.
▷ see /siː/ [intransitive/transitive verb] especially spoken
to understand how someone feels and why they feel that way, especially because the reasons are very clear :
see why/how/what
▪ You can see why Clare was so annoyed, can’t you?
see that
▪ I can see that you’d find that upsetting.
▷ appreciate /əˈpriːʃieɪt/ [transitive verb] formal
to understand clearly how someone feels or what problems they have :
▪ Congress did not appreciate the amount of anger that people felt about this issue.
▪ Parents have to find ways to show their children that they appreciate their feelings and reactions.
appreciate (that)
▪ I appreciate that it’s not easy for you, but you must try to get here on time.
▷ know how somebody feels /ˌnəʊ haʊ somebody ˈfiːlz/
to understand how someone feels, because you have had the same feelings or experiences yourself :
▪ I know how you feel. I couldn’t watch either - it was too upsetting.
know how it feels (to do something)
▪ Believe me, I know how it feels to lose.
▷ put yourself in somebody’s place /ˌpʊt jɔːʳself ɪn somebodyˈs ˈpleɪs/ [verb phrase]
say this when you want someone to imagine they are in the same situation as another person, so that they can understand how the other person feels :
▪ Well, put yourself in her place. Would you like it if someone did that to you?
▷ understandable /ˌʌndəʳˈstændəb ə l/ [adjective]
feelings or attitudes that are understandable, especially feelings of anger, annoyance, or fear, do not surprise you because you can see that there are good reasons for them :
▪ That teachers are annoyed about having so much extra paperwork is understandable.
▪ There is understandable anger among the victims’ families.
it is understandable that
▪ It’s understandable that she doesn’t want to see Bill again.
understandably [adverb]
▪ Understandably, she just wants to leave as soon as possible.
▪ They were, quite understandably, annoyed by the delay.
3. to understand each part of a story, explanation etc
▷ follow /ˈfɒləʊǁˈfɑː-/ [transitive verb]
to understand a story, explanation, or talk that continues for a long time :
▪ I had difficulty following the story - there are so many different characters.
difficult/hard/easy to follow
▪ The lecture was very hard to follow.
▷ be with /biː ˈwɪð/ [verb phrase] informal
to have understood everything so far in an explanation that someone is giving :
▪ I’m sorry but I’m not with you. Could you explain that part again?
▪ Then you press this button. Are you with me so far?
▷ keep up /ˌkiːp ˈʌp/ [intransitive phrasal verb]
to manage to understand each part of something, especially a very long or complicated explanation or story :
▪ She covers so much in these lectures -- I don’t know how you manage to keep up.
keep up with
▪ It’s a complicated film, and some people may find it hard to keep up with the plot.
4. to understand new facts after studying them
▷ digest /daɪˈdʒest/ [transitive verb]
to understand new information, especially when there is a large amount of it or when it is difficult to understand, by thinking about it carefully for a fairly long time :
▪ The pub went silent as the villagers digested the news.
▪ By the end of the day, I had a lot of new information to digest.
▷ take in /ˌteɪk ˈɪn/ [transitive phrasal verb]
to understand and remember new facts or information :
take something in
▪ I’m not going to my next class. I’m too tired to take anything in.
take in what/why/how etc
▪ I don’t think she really took in what I was telling her.
take in something
▪ She listened attentively, taking in every word he said and asking questions.
▷ absorb /əbˈsɔːʳb, əbˈzɔːʳb/ [transitive verb]
to understand a large amount of new information :
▪ Most people need to read something more than once to absorb all the ideas.
▪ He appeared to understand, but whether he absorbed every detail I cannot say.
▪ A new baby has an enormous capacity for absorbing new information.
▷ assimilate /əˈsɪmɪleɪt, əˈsɪməleɪt/ [transitive verb]
to understand and use new information or ideas quickly and easily :
▪ The person we are looking for must be flexible, creative, and able to assimilate new ideas.
▪ When a child is learning something new, they try to assimilate it in terms of what they already know.
▷ sink in /ˌsɪŋk ˈɪn/ [intransitive phrasal verb]
if a fact, information etc sinks in, you gradually understand it :
▪ He paused to let this news sink in.
▪ I’ve been revising all day but I don’t think much of it has sunk in.
5. to understand the meaning of something in a particular way
▷ make of /ˈmeɪk ɒv/ [transitive phrasal verb not in progressive; usually in questions or negative sentences]
to believe that something strange, difficult, or unusual has a particular meaning :
▪ Have you read Dawson’s letter? What do you make of it?
▪ Tom could see that McCarron didn’t know what to make of the information.
▷ read /riːd/ [transitive verb]
to think that a remark, an action, an event etc shows that someone has a particular opinion or feeling even though they do not say this directly :
▪ Good managers are usually able to read a situation quickly and take the right action.
read something as something
▪ Men shouldn’t be surprised if women read this behaviour as threatening.
▷ take something to mean /ˌteɪk something tə ˈmiːn/ [verb phrase]
to choose to understand a particular meaning in someone’s words or actions without being sure that this is the correct meaning :
▪ There was a pause, which he took to mean she was angry.
▪ Television producers should not take low ratings to mean failure.
▷ see something as /ˈsiː something æz/ [transitive phrasal verb]
to understand a remark, a piece of writing, an event etc as having a particular meaning, especially because of your own feelings, opinions, or situation :
▪ I see this poem as an attack on social injustice.
▪ Young children often see the birth of a new brother or sister as a great threat.
▷ interpret /ɪnˈtɜːʳprɪt, ɪnˈtɜːʳprət/ [transitive verb]
to choose to understand a piece of information or group of facts in one of several possible ways :
▪ Fairy tales can be interpreted in several different ways.
interpret something as something
▪ The statement was interpreted as a threat against the United States.
interpretation /ɪnˌtɜːʳprɪˈteɪʃ ə n, ɪnˌtɜːʳprəˈteɪʃ ə n/ [countable noun]
interpret of
▪ The interpretation of laboratory data is often difficult.
▷ understand by /ˌʌndəʳˈstænd baɪ/ [verb phrase]
to find a particular meaning in an expression or in the name of something, even though other people may understand it differently :
▪ What do you understand by the term ‘alternative medicine’?
▪ He spoke of profits, by which I understood profits for his company, not for us.
▷ understand something/somebody to mean /ʌndəˌstænd something/somebody tə ˈmiːn/ [verb phrase]
to think that someone’s remarks, a word, a piece of writing etc means something or has a particular message, even though this is not stated directly :
▪ ‘It’s very good. You’ll like it,’ their mother said, and gave them a look that they understood to mean they must eat it whether they liked it or not.
▷ construe something as /kənˈstruː something æz/ [verb phrase] formal
to understand a remark or action in a particular way, when there are other possible ways of understanding it :
▪ Such activities by the Americans could be construed as an act of war.
▪ Films that could be construed as offensive are shown after nine o'clock.
6. to begin to understand something
▷ begin to understand /bɪˌgɪn tʊ ʌndəʳˈstænd/ [verb phrase]
to slowly begin to understand a situation or someone’s feelings, because you get more information or because you experience something for yourself :
▪ I think it will be a long time before we even begin to understand how damaging the effect has been.
▪ Patients are given written information and videos so that they can begin to understand more about their condition.
begin to understand that
▪ I was beginning to understand that being alone could be terribly depressing.
begin to understand why/how/what etc
▪ As we walked up the narrow staircases, we began to understand why the Dutch haul their furniture up the outside of the buildings and through the windows.
▷ catch on /ˌkætʃ ˈɒn/ [intransitive phrasal verb] informal
to begin to understand something that is not easy to understand :
▪ Thomas isn’t catching on as quickly as some of the other children.
catch on to
▪ It took Jennifer a long time to catch on to the fact that Mary was taking advantage of her.
catch on fast/quickly
▪ She catches on fast and will soon be promoted.
▷ get it /ˈget ɪt/ [verb phrase] spoken
to finally understand something, especially after it has been explained to you several times :
▪ Okay, I get it. You only get paid if you sell at least ten copies.
▪ ‘So the plant takes in carbon dioxide and gives out oxygen.’ ‘That’s it. You’ve got it.’
▷ figure/work out /ˌfɪgəʳ, ˌwɜːʳk ˈaʊtǁˌfɪgjər-/ [transitive phrasal verb]
to think about something until you understand it, especially something complicated :
▪ Horgan thought he had it all figured out, but he hadn’t.
figure/work something out
▪ In case you haven’t figured it out yet, we’ve been tricked.
figure/work out how/why/what etc
▪ Detectives are still trying to work out what happened.
▷ twig /twɪg/ [intransitive/transitive verb] British informal
to begin to understand a situation by what you see and hear around you, and not by being told directly :
▪ Oh, I get it, I’ve twigged at last. How much do you want?
twig that
▪ At last I twigged that I was pregnant
twig why/where/what etc
▪ It took him about two minutes to twig what I was going on about!
▷ cotton on /ˌkɒtn ˈɒnǁˌkɑːtn-/ [intransitive phrasal verb] informal
to begin to understand a situation by what you see and hear around you, and not by being told directly :
cotton on to
▪ It took him a while to cotton on to what was happening.
▪ Large stores have at last cottoned on to the fact that mothers with pushchairs can’t cope with stairs.
▷ click /klɪk/ [intransitive verb]
if something clicks, especially something you are learning, you suddenly begin to understand it :
▪ Just keep working at it, and suddenly it will all click.
▷ fall into place /ˌfɔːl ɪntə ˈpleɪs/ [verb phrase]
if several facts fall into place, you begin to understand how they are connected and why each one is important, so that you understand a whole situation or subject :
▪ Once the police received this new evidence, things began falling into place.
7. when you understand something
▷ comprehension /ˌkɒmprɪˈhenʃ ə nǁˌkɑːm-/ [uncountable noun]
when you understand something, especially a piece of spoken or written language, or the ability to do this :
▪ The teacher gave us a comprehension test.
▪ We tried to explain the causes of the war at a child’s level of comprehension.
reading comprehension
ability to understand what you read
▪ You need to practise your reading comprehension more.
beyond somebody’s comprehension
too difficult to understand
▪ He was caught up in frightening events far beyond his comprehension.
▷ understanding /ˌʌndəʳˈstændɪŋ/ [uncountable noun]
when you understand a situation, subject, idea etc, or someone’s ability to do this :
▪ A much greater level of understanding is required to carry out more complex experiments.
understanding of
▪ He seems to have very little understanding of economics.
▪ The research may lead to a better understanding of how the disease develops.
▷ insight /ˈɪnsaɪt/ [countable/uncountable noun]
the ability to understand or realize something new about a subject or to more clearly understand the nature of a problem, situation, or subject etc :
▪ Crick soon established himself as a scientist of great insight and creativity.
insight into
▪ We help troubled teenagers gain some insight into their own problems.
8. easy to understand
▷ easy to understand/follow /ˌiːzi tʊ ʌndəʳˈstænd, ˈfɒləʊ ǁ-ˈfɑː-/ [adjective phrase]
▪ The instructions are easy to follow.
▪ On cards are five easy to follow recipes for you to cut out and keep.
▪ We try to write it in language that is easy to understand.
▷ clear /klɪəʳ/ [adjective]
instructions, explanations etc that are clear are explained in easy language or stages and are therefore easy to understand :
▪ Most of the ‘help’ messages you get on computers aren’t at all clear to ordinary home users.
▪ Thanks for your directions to the apartment - they were really clear and we had no problems finding it.
▪ Perhaps I didn’t make myself clear - there won’t be a penny of extra money for this project.
▷ comprehensible /ˌkɒmprɪˈhensɪb ə l, ˌkɒmprɪˈhensəb ə lǁˌkɑːm-/ [adjective]
something that is comprehensible is easy to understand because it does not contain any complicated information and is expressed in very clear language :
▪ Visual aids can make lessons much more interesting and comprehensible.
▪ Each entry in the guide is brief and immediately comprehensible.
comprehensible to
▪ The music was experimental, and not comprehensible to the average concert-goer.
▷ intelligible /ɪnˈtelɪdʒəb ə l, ɪnˈtelədʒəb ə l/ [adjective]
something that is intelligible, such as a subject you study or a piece of writing or speech, is fairly easy to understand :
▪ Her English was strongly accented but quite intelligible.
intelligible to
▪ It is sometimes difficult to discuss medical issues in a way that is intelligible to ordinary people.
▷ accessible /əkˈsesɪb ə l, əkˈsesəb ə l/ [adjective]
books, films, information etc that are accessible are written or made in a way that is easy to understand even though they may concern subjects that are complicated :
▪ Philip Glass has produced something very rare -- an accessible modern opera.
▪ I don’t find James Joyce’s writing very accessible.
accessible to
▪ He was specifically asked to write a play that would be accessible to the local community.
▷ coherent /kəʊˈhɪ ə rənt/ [adjective]
a piece of writing or speech that is coherent is easy to understand because it is clear and well-planned, so that all the parts fit well together :
▪ I was so confused that I could not give a coherent answer.
▪ Rescuers found Campbell, who was conscious and coherent.
▪ History could be defined as a coherent account of an event.
9. to not understand something correctly
▷ misunderstand /ˌmɪsʌndəʳˈstænd/ [intransitive/transitive verb]
to think that someone means one thing when in fact they mean something else :
▪ I think she misunderstood you.
▪ I’m sorry, I must have misunderstood.
▪ According to Bennett, you misunderstood the reason you were dropped from the list.
▷ misunderstanding /ˌmɪsʌndəʳˈstændɪŋ/ [countable/uncountable noun]
a problem caused when someone does not understand something correctly :
▪ There seems to have been a misunderstanding. I didn’t order steak.
▪ Cultural differences between people from different countries can sometimes lead to misunderstandings.
▷ misinterpret /ˌmɪsɪnˈtɜːʳprɪt, ˌmɪsɪnˈtɜːʳprət/ [transitive verb]
to not understand the true meaning of someone’s actions or words, so that you believe something that is not in fact true :
▪ Your friendliness could easily be misinterpreted.
▪ A lot of people misinterpreted what I was saying, and have called me a racist.
▷ misread /ˌmɪsˈriːd/ [transitive verb]
to wrongly believe that someone’s actions show that they have a particular opinion or feeling :
▪ Unfortunately, we misread the situation and lost a lot of sales.
▪ The intelligence community was criticized for misreading Iraq’s intentions.
▷ miss the point /ˌmɪs ðə ˈpɔɪnt/ [verb phrase]
if you miss the point, you think you understand what someone says or what is important about a situation, but in fact you are wrong :
▪ I soon realised that he had completely missed the point.
▪ He’s so caught up in the rules that he’s missing the point of the game, which is just to have fun.
▷ take something the wrong way /ˌteɪk something ðə ˌrɒŋ ˈweɪǁ -ˌrɔːŋ-/ [verb phrase]
to be offended or upset by a remark that was not intended to offend or upset you, because you understood it wrongly :
▪ Don’t tell Simon that -- he might take it the wrong way.
▪ No, that’s not what I meant. You take everything the wrong way.
don’t take this the wrong way
say this when you want to give advice or ask something that you think might offend someone
▪ Don’t take this the wrong way, but could I stay at your place tonight?
▷ get the wrong end of the stick /get ðə ˌrɒŋ end əv ðə ˈstɪkǁ-ˌrɔːŋ-/ [verb phrase] British
an informal expression meaning to make a mistake about one part of something that you are told, so that you understand the rest of it in completely the wrong way :
▪ Maybe I got the wrong end of the stick. I thought she was leaving him, not the other way round.
▷ be at cross-purposes /biː ət ˌkrɒs ˈpɜːʳpəsə̇z ǁ-ˌkrɔːs-/ [verb phrase]
if two people are at cross-purposes, each of them thinks that they understand what the other is talking about, when in fact they are talking about two different things :
▪ I think we’re at cross purposes -- I’m talking about John, not Nigel.
▷ don’t get me wrong /ˌdəʊnt get miː ˈrɒŋǁ-ˈrɔːŋ/ spoken
say this when you do not want someone to understand something wrongly or be upset by what you say :
▪ I like Jenny, don’t get me wrong, but I do think she acts a little childishly at times.
▪ Don’t get me wrong, I love my family, I just don’t want to be with them all the time.
▷ lose the plot /ˌluːz ðə ˈplɒtǁ-ˈplɑːt/ [verb phrase] British spoken
to suddenly be unable to understand what is happening in a situation, especially when people expect you to understand and deal with it :
▪ In the past few days the President seems to have completely lost the plot.
10. to not understand
▷ not understand /nɒt ʌndəʳˈstænd/ [verb phrase]
▪ They didn’t understand a single word she said.
▪ Tell me if you don’t understand.
▪ She thought about getting a divorce, but she knew her children would never understand.
▪ He made a few references to the CIA and national security, which Wilson did not understand.
not understand why/how/what/where
▪ I really can’t understand why so many people like her music.
▷ can’t make head or/nor tail of also can’t makes heads or tails (out) of American /ˌkɑːnt meɪk ˌhed ɔːʳ, nɔːʳ ˈteɪl ɒv, ˌkɑːnt meɪk ˌhedz ɔːʳ ˈteɪlz (aʊt) ɒvǁˌkænt-/ [verb phrase] informal
to be unable to understand something at all because it is very complicated or confusing :
▪ I just can’t make head or tail of this train timetable.
▪ I couldn’t make head or tail of this book, and had real trouble finishing it.
▪ Consumers can’t always make heads or tails out of the way nutrition is labeled on a food package.
▷ be over somebody’s head /biː ˌəʊvəʳ somebodyˈs ˈhed/ [verb phrase]
to be much too complicated or technical for someone to understand :
▪ It was obvious from her expression that what I was saying was over her head.
be way/completely over somebody’s head
▪ I went to the lecture, but it was way over my head.
▷ be out of your depth /biː ˌaʊt əv jɔːʳ ˈdepθ/ [verb phrase]
to be involved in a situation or activity which is too difficult for you to understand :
▪ She was out of her depth in the advanced class, so they moved her to the intermediate class.
be way/completely out of your depth
▪ I tried to read the report, but I was way out of my depth.
▷ be none the wiser /biː ˌnʌn ðə ˈwaɪzəʳ/ [verb phrase]
to still not understand something after someone has tried to explain it to you :
▪ I’ve read the manual but I’m still none the wiser.
leave somebody none the wiser
▪ His explanations of how it worked left me none the wiser.
▷ don’t/can’t see /ˌdəʊnt, ˌkɑːnt ˈsiːǁ -ˌkænt-/ [verb phrase] spoken
to not understand the reason for something :
don’t/can’t see why/how/what/where
▪ I didn’t see how they could sell it so cheaply.
▪ I can’t see why you think it’s any of your business.
▷ be a mystery to me/be beyond me/beats me /biː ə ˌmɪst ə ri tə ˈmiː, biː bɪˌjɒnd ˈmiːǁ-ˌjɑːnd-, ˌbiːts ˈmiː/ [verb phrase] spoken
say this when you cannot understand why something happens or how someone does something, and you find it very surprising :
be a mystery to me/be beyond me/beats me how/what/why etc
▪ It’s a mystery to me how he can get so much work done in such a short time.
▪ Why anyone would willingly do that job is beyond me.
it beats me/it’s beyond me etc.
▪ ‘Why does she stay with her husband then?’ ‘It beats me.’
▷ I can’t think/can’t imagine /aɪ ˌkɑːnt ˈθɪŋk, ˌkɑːnt ɪˈmædʒə̇nǁ -ˌkænt-/
you say I can’t think or I can’t imagine how or why someone does something when you cannot think of any reasonable explanation why someone should do it, and are very surprised that they do :
I can’t think/can’t imagine why/how etc
▪ He wants to join the army -- I can’t think why.
▪ How such a stupid man ever got to be a politician, I just can’t imagine.
11. difficult or impossible to understand
▷ puzzling /ˈpʌzlɪŋ/ [adjective]
a puzzling situation makes you feel confused, because you have tried to understand it or explain it, but you cannot :
▪ The police are investigating the puzzling death of a man found on the freeway.
▪ Alzheimer’s disease is one of medicine’s most puzzling and feared illnesses.
▪ The fact that many people still do not understand this basic concept is both puzzling and troubling.
▷ baffling /ˈbæflɪŋ/ [adjective]
extremely difficult or impossible to understand, and therefore making you feel extremely confused :
▪ To an ordinary person, the legal arguments were baffling.
▪ New evidence has provided a clue to one of the most baffling crimes the police have had to deal with.
▷ incomprehensible /ɪnˌkɒmprɪˈhensɪb ə l, ɪnˌkɒmprɪˈhensəb ə lǁ-ˌkɑːm-/ [adjective]
impossible to understand :
▪ His English was incomprehensible.
it is incomprehensible that
▪ It is incomprehensible that a tragedy like this could be joked about.
incomprehensible to
▪ The leaflet was written in jargon that would have been totally incomprehensible to anyone outside the profession.
▷ unintelligible /ˌʌnɪnˈtelɪdʒəb ə l◂, ˌʌnɪnˈtelədʒəb ə l◂/ [adjective]
speech or writing that is unintelligible is impossible to understand because it is not clear, simple, or well planned :
▪ Joe muttered something unintelligible, clasping his head in his hands.
▪ Radio transmissions were often cut off or unintelligible.
▷ incoherent /ˌɪnkəʊˈhɪ ə rənt◂/ [adjective]
incoherent speech is very difficult to understand, especially because the person who is speaking is drunk, ill, or very angry :
▪ Harris gave rambling, incoherent answers to questions about the case.
▪ She was clearly very ill, and at times her speech was incoherent.
incoherently [adverb]
▪ Rochester was banging his fists on the wall, raging incoherently.
▷ obscure /əbˈskjʊəʳ/ [adjective]
a statement, joke, or idea that is obscure is very difficult to understand because the meaning is not clear unless it is carefully explained to you :
▪ Best’s art is eccentric and obscure.
▪ Publishers would not print his earlier poetry because they felt it was too obscure.