undecipherable

adjective

un·​de·​ci·​pher·​able ˌən-dē-ˈsī-f(ə-)rə-bəl How to pronounce undecipherable (audio)
: unable to be deciphered : not decipherable : indecipherable
undecipherable handwriting
undecipherably adverb

Examples of undecipherable in a Sentence

undecipherable stone inscriptions that have inspired a wide assortment of theories
Recent Examples on the Web Hinton then offered an extremely detailed scientific explanation of why that's the case -- an explanation that would be undecipherable to anyone but an AI creator like himself. Josh Meyer, USA TODAY, 4 May 2023 When the Giants finally chose Kadarius Toney, a wide receiver from the University of Florida, with the 20th pick in the N.F.L. draft, the team’s fans in Cleveland took a good 10 seconds to start a slow clap, mouthing undecipherable questions beneath their masks. New York Times, 30 Apr. 2021 Other inventions included a mysterious writing system that remains undecipherable, and novel techniques in metallurgy. Sam Walters, Discover Magazine, 1 Dec. 2021 Or rebels will sport uniforms with red octagons and undecipherable ancient script. Bridget Alex, Discover Magazine, 9 Oct. 2020 Beyond a certain length (in decimal digits), the RSA code becomes impregnable and therefore any message based on it undecipherable (in a reasonably finite length of time) by an eavesdropper. Amir Aczel, Discover Magazine, 31 July 2013 In the video, Travolta uses a bit of a baby voice with the animal, but his words are essentially undecipherable as he gets slobbered on by the aforementioned Peanut. Brenton Blanchet, Peoplemag, 1 Oct. 2022 Four Tet is back under his undecipherable wingding alias with another surprise release. Billboard Staff, Billboard, 1 Nov. 2019 The military, ferrying troops to battle sites across the Pacific, was urgently seeking an undecipherable code to transmit classified information. Betty Reid, azcentral, 29 Aug. 2019

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'undecipherable.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1758, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of undecipherable was in 1758

Dictionary Entries Near undecipherable

Cite this Entry

“Undecipherable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/undecipherable. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.

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