Absence of Comprehension: English Vocabulary List

to try one's best in order to solve a problem or to understand it

"I beat my brains out trying to solve it."

"I beat my brains out trying to solve the puzzle but I finally had to give up."

to confuse someone by using difficult or technical words while describing something to them

"Do not blind me with science, just explain simply."

"The expert witness tried to blind the jury with science using complicated technical language they could not understand."

used to describe a situation in which someone remains uninformed or unaware, typically after an event or the receipt of information

"I read the manual but am none the wiser."

"The criminal escaped without paying and the restaurant owner was none the wiser until the next morning."

to fail to correctly understand or interpret what someone said

"We got our wires crossed yesterday."

"I think we had our wires crossed about the meeting time, so I showed up an hour earlier than everyone else."

to be unable to comprehend what is happening around one

"He really lost the plot."

"After working for sixteen hours straight, I completely lost the plot and couldn't remember what I was doing."

a state in which one does not understand the current situation due to being completely detached from reality

"He is living in La-La land."

"He is living in La La land and his plans are completely unrealistic and detached from reality."

used when one is completely unable to guess or understand something

"Beats me!"

"I have no idea why he acted that way; honestly, it just beats me."

used as a response to mean that one does not have any answer to a particular question

"Search me. I have no idea."

"Search me. I have no idea where your keys are because I did not see them anywhere."

in a state or place that is unknown or unseen, particularly referring to where people go after they die

"We cannot see what is beyond the veil."

"The old woman claimed she could see beyond the veil and communicate with dead relatives."

used to refer to something that is complicated or difficult beyond one's understanding or capability

"It was over my head."

"The advanced quantum physics lecture was completely over my head; I couldn't grasp any of it."

used for saying that one is unable to understand the meaning of something particular

"This math is all Greek to me."

"My husband tried to explain the tax forms to me but it was all Greek to me."

a state in which one does not understand the current situation due to being completely detached from reality

"He is in la-la land."

"He seemed to be in la-la land, completely unaware of the financial crisis unfolding around him."

a subject that is very challenging or boring to one

"Math is my blind spot."

"My blind spot in history is the late medieval period, making it difficult to grasp complex political nuances."