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

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

But previously indecipherable 20-year-old data from NASA and European Space Agency telescopes suggests that flares from magnetars that formed much earlier — during the infancy of the universe — may have provided another way for the creation of gold, Burns said. —Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 3 May 2025

Many are rhythmic ditties verging on rap — fine for solos but indecipherable chorally, especially when the rhymes are so vague. —Jesse Green, New York Times, 20 Mar. 2025

Comments Singer, actress, activist, indecipherable social media user — there are many contours to Cher. —Jordan Hoffman, EW.com, 20 May 2025

The app translated this information into line graphs that looked impressively medical but were, to me, indecipherable. —Anonymous, Vogue, 10 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1802, in the meaning defined above