decipher

verb

de·​ci·​pher dē-ˈsī-fər 

deciphered; deciphering; deciphers

transitive verb

1

: decode sense 1a

decipher a secret message

2

obsolete : depict

with her majesty's name deciphered in gold letters

—Jonathan Swift

3

a

: to make out the meaning of despite indistinctness or obscurity

trying to decipher her handwriting

b

: to interpret the meaning of

decipher the poem

decipherable

dē-ˈsī-f(ə-)rə-bəl 

adjective

decipherer

dē-ˈsī-fər-ər 

noun

decipherment

dē-ˈsī-fər-mənt 

noun

Synonyms

• break
• crack
• decode
• decrypt

Examples of decipher in a Sentence

I couldn't decipher his sloppy handwriting.

we deciphered the hidden message to find out when we were supposed to meet

Recent Examples on the Web

Millennials will love deciphering which real-life stars inspired the plot. —Tia Williams, New York Times, 20 Feb. 2025

Freshman Max Granville tried to decipher whether defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton was staying. —Audrey Snyder, The Athletic, 12 Feb. 2025

The scroll currently being deciphered, known as PHerc. 172, is housed at the Bodleian Libraries at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. —Francesca Aton For Artnews, Robb Report, 8 Feb. 2025

In the days following its release, fans went to work deciphering Lamar’s razor-sharp lyrics. —Janeé Bolden, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1545, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for decipher

• cipher
• cypher
• fifer
• heifer
• pfeiffer

Kids Definition

decipher

verb

de·​ci·​pher di-ˈsī-fər 

1

: to convert into understandable form

especially : decode

2

: to make out the meaning of despite lack of clearness

decipher sloppy handwriting

decipherable

-f(ə-)rə-bəl 

adjective

decipherment

-fər-mənt 

noun