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 of decipher

• crack
• translate
• break
• decode
• solve
• 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

Angela George The recount board is sticking around after business hours for now to tabulate ballots that needed to be duplicated after the voting machine could not read or decipher the ballot. — Angela George, Sioux Falls Argus Leader, 8 July 2026

In 2023, the Vesuvius Challenge made its first award for deciphering the first letters, and the following year, the project awarded the grand prize of $700,000 for producing the first readable text. — ArsTechnica, 30 June 2026

On Thursday, the University of Kentucky announced a new $1 million prize to anyone able to decipher a complete scroll, a feat the researchers once considered impossible, by June next year. — Claudio Lavanga, NBC news, 26 June 2026

Already, papyrologists are deciphering new texts that indicate other possible authors in the Herculaneum collection, including one of the leaders of the Stoic philosophy school. — Claire Cameron, Scientific American, 26 June 2026

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