Ungrasping

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Having difficulty in understanding or fully comprehending
2. lacking the ability to appreciate or capture the essence of something
3. characterized by an inability to secure or hold onto concepts or ideas

Etymology: "Ungrasping" is built from the prefix "un-" and the verb "grasp," a plain combination that adds the sense of not doing the action. "Grasp" itself goes back to Middle English "graspen," a word of Germanic origin related to the idea of gripping with the hands, so the literal meaning of "ungrasping" is simply "not gripping or seizing." The figurative sense, lacking the ability to take in or understand the essence of something, grows naturally from "grasp" used for mental comprehension, as in "to grasp an idea." Put "un-" in front of that and the verb turns into a description of a mind that cannot hold onto a subject.

Synonyms: selfish, covetous

Antonyms: generous, giving