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 of unreadable

• illegible

Examples of unreadable in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples on the Web

In early 2025, the victim was 56-year-old Gerald Neal, a pedestrian who was run over twice as an unmarked police truck chased a vehicle in Holden Heights over an unreadable license plate. —Stephen Hudak, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 June 2026

Vault contents remain unreadable until the user enters the master password, which acts as a decryption key. —Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 4 June 2026

Encryption converts your data into unreadable code when it's being transmitted or stored. —Rebecca Safier, USA Today, 4 June 2026

When Neutrality Becomes Work For Everyone Else Some managers take pride in being unreadable. —Benjamin Laker, Forbes.com, 26 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1655, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for unreadable

• readable

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