unreadable

adjective

un·​read·​able ˌən-ˈrē-də-bəl 

: not readable: such as

a

: not decipherable : illegible

unreadable handwriting

b

: impossible to read and understand : incomprehensible

… a flawed, unreadable, misleading bill that garnered support based on propaganda and clever—but false—talking points.

—Marilyn M. Singleton

c

: impossible to interpret

The expression on her face was unreadable.

d

: not enjoyable or interesting enough to engage the reader

an unreadable novel

Synonyms

• illegible
• indecipherable
• undecipherable

Examples of unreadable in a Sentence

the old book contains an inscription, but the handwriting is cramped and unreadable

Recent Examples on the Web

The collection of papyri—from which about 1,800 mostly unreadable scrolls and fragments have so far been extracted—was interred under 60 feet of material deposited by pyroclastic flows, at temperatures greater than 900 degrees Fahrenheit, during the same eruption that destroyed Pompeii in C.E. 79. —Tomas Weber, Scientific American, 19 Mar. 2024

In January, the company recalled 2.2 million vehicles due to unreadable warning light lettering. —Rebecca Schneid, TIME, 3 Oct. 2024

At its core, end-to-end encryption works by scrambling communications content into an unreadable format. —Lars Daniel, Forbes, 25 Sep. 2024

The gun was loaded with 11 rounds, according to court filings, and the serial number on the rifle was obliterated and unreadable. —Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 23 Sep. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1655, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

unreadable

adjective

un·​read·​able

ˌən-ˈrēd-ə-bəl,

ˈən-

1

: too dull or unattractive to read

a long, unreadable essay

2

: illegible

unreadable handwriting