indecipherable
Americanadjective
-
not decipherable; illegible.
-
not understandable; incomprehensible.
adjective
Other Word Forms
- indecipherability noun
- indecipherableness noun
- indecipherably adverb
Etymology
Origin of indecipherable
First recorded in 1795–1805; in- 3 + decipherable ( def. )
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The highway sign was nearly indecipherable beneath layers of stickers and graffiti.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 5, 2026
But he is best known for his inimitable, Surrealist pictures featuring skeletal, architectonic figures—merging humans, animals, foliage, totems and signs—which, though indecipherable, are instantly recognizable.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 31, 2026
The defining complaint about the sacked Dutchman was that after two-and-a-bit seasons the football was still formless and the tactical direction indecipherable.
From BBC • Nov. 1, 2024
Fox News aired several minutes of blurry footage of Mr. Trump meeting with a Border Patrol agent in Eagle Pass, Texas, though the audio was often indecipherable.
From New York Times • Feb. 29, 2024
I head to the kitchen smelling of polish, my head aching with the indecipherable echo of Blackcliff s drums, which have been pounding all day.
From "An Ember in the Ashes" by Sabaa Tahir
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
