What does inscrutable mean?
Word: Inscrutable
Part of Speech: Adjective
Meaning: Inscrutable means very hard to read or understand, especially when a person shows no feeling in their face.
Synonyms: enigmatic
How do you spell inscrutable?
Syllables: in - scru - ta - ble
Tricky part: The ending sounds the same as ible, so pupils often pick the wrong one. This word takes able.
Watch out for: inscrutible, inscrutibel, inscrootible
Memory tip: Nobody is able to read an inscrutable face: let able close the word.
Inscrutable in a sentence
Example 1: Our maths teacher wore an inscrutable smile as she handed back the tests.
Example 2: The cat gave me an inscrutable stare from the top of the fridge.
Example 3: The ancient writing on the stone remained inscrutable to the students.
Fun Fact
The smile of Leonardo's Mona Lisa is often described as inscrutable, and visitors to the Louvre still argue over what she might be thinking.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Cookie
Find the extra letter in the word:
inscruttable
a) u
b) b
c) t
d) s
Show answer
c) t. Only one t is needed after the u.
Mingle-Mangle
Unjumble the word in the sentence and choose it:
Her face stayed btcualnseri throughout the debate, so nobody could guess her final decision.
a) insatiable
b) inscription
c) indisputable
d) inscrutable
Show answer
d) inscrutable. A c and an r with no d, o or second i rule out the other three.
Word Connection
Choose the antonym of the word inscrutable as used in the sentence:
The chess champion's inscrutable face gave his opponent no clue about the next move.
a) puzzling
b) unreadable
c) expressive
d) mysterious
Show answer
c) expressive. Three options repeat the idea of a hidden mood; an expressive face shows it clearly.
Spell-o-Spell
One of these words is spelt right. Pick the meaning of that word.
1. inscrutable 2. maintainance 3. benificial 4. bouqet
a) giving nothing away about inner thoughts
b) the work of keeping something in good condition
c) having a helpful or good effect
d) a bunch of flowers arranged neatly
Show answer
a) giving nothing away about inner thoughts. Maintenance, beneficial and bouquet all have a letter wrong or missing here.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Who or what would be hardest to call inscrutable?
a) a cat watching quietly from a wall
b) a stranger gazing blankly at the rain
c) a toddler grinning with delight
d) a sphinx staring across the desert
Show answer
c) a toddler grinning with delight
2. A novel's ending is called inscrutable. What will readers most likely do?
a) Ask for a shorter edition
b) Skip it and read the start
c) Argue about what it means
d) Learn the lines by heart
Show answer
c) Argue about what it means
