支離滅裂(しりめつれつ)

支離滅裂(しりめつれつ) is a four-character idiom describing speech, writing, or thinking with no logical thread running through it.

Usage

• Modifies a noun with な: 支離滅裂(しりめつれつ)な説明(せつめい)
• Predicates with だ or である: 話(はなし)が支離滅裂(しりめつれつ)だ
• It is a blunt judgment: the material cannot be followed at all, not merely that it is hard going. Used of another person's words it is openly critical.

Common collocations

• 支離滅裂(しりめつれつ)な話(はなし): incoherent talk
• 支離滅裂(しりめつれつ)な文章(ぶんしょう): incoherent writing
• 支離滅裂(しりめつれつ)な論理(ろんり): disjointed logic

Similar words

• めちゃくちゃ is the casual everyday equivalent. It also covers physical mess, while 支離滅裂(しりめつれつ) is written-register and only ever about logic or content.