indecipherable

adjective

in·​de·​ci·​pher·​able ˌin-di-ˈsī-f(ə-)rə-bəl 

: incapable of being deciphered

indecipherable writing

an indecipherable message

indecipherably

ˌin-di-ˈsī-f(ə-)rə-blē 

adverb

Synonyms

• illegible
• undecipherable
• unreadable

Examples of indecipherable in a Sentence

His handwriting is almost indecipherable.

after so many years the paper label in the drawer of the antique desk is indecipherable

Recent Examples on the Web

The formal complexity and poignant quietude of Jia’s filmmaking haven’t endeared him much to previous Cannes juries, and for some this latest entry, with its dizzying chains of intertextuality, must have seemed imposing to the point of being indecipherable. —Justin Chang, New Yorker, 2 May 2025

What Your Cat's Personality Says About You, From An Animal Behaviorist By Maria Azzurra Volpe Life and Trends Reporter Newsweek Is A Trust Project Member news article 0 Cats might have mastered the art of mystery, but their feelings are not entirely indecipherable to us. —Mark Weinstein, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Apr. 2025

There are neither crude jokes nor wise-ass anecdotes, only quick, indecipherable bursts of jargon. —Justin Chang, New Yorker, 4 Apr. 2025

Researchers at the University of Oxford recently set out to read some of Tennyson’s indecipherable scribbles using advanced imaging techniques. —Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 26 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1802, in the meaning defined above