1
Unreadable writing
Written or printed marks that cannot be identified because they are damaged or poorly formed.
Example
Water damage rendered several lines of the manuscript indecipherable.
indecipherable
/ˌɪndɪˈsaɪfərəbəl/ · in-dih-SY-fuh-ruh-buhladjective
Impossible to read or understand.
Use indecipherable for writing, speech, symbols, or information whose meaning cannot be worked out.
What indecipherable Really Means
The word becomes easier to use when its closely related senses are separated and compared.
2
Uninterpretable code
Symbols, inscriptions, or signals whose system of meaning cannot be decoded.
Example
The inscription remains indecipherable despite years of study.
3
Impossible to understand
Speech, reasoning, or information so unclear that its intended meaning cannot be determined.
Example
Technical interference made much of the recording indecipherable.
Use indecipherable Naturally
Notice how the surrounding noun or clause reveals the exact shade of meaning.
The inscription remains indecipherable despite years of study.
Water damage rendered several lines of the manuscript indecipherable.
Without the key, the sequence of symbols appeared entirely indecipherable.
Precision Matters
Indecipherable overlaps with several common words, but each carries a different emphasis.
indecipherable
vs.Can describe writing, symbols, speech, or meaning that cannot be decoded.
illegible
Specifically describes text or handwriting that cannot be read visually.
indecipherable
vs.Often concerns inability to decode signs or communication.
incomprehensible
Broadly means impossible to understand.
indecipherable
vs.Indicates interpretation is effectively impossible.
obscure
Means unclear, little known, or difficult—but not necessarily impossible—to understand.
indecipherable
vs.Provides no recoverable meaning.
ambiguous
Allows two or more plausible meanings.
Test indecipherable in Context
The damage makes the writing impossible to read or interpret.
1
Water had blurred the ink until the letters merged into dark stains, rendering several lines of the manuscript ___.