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Showing results for unreadable. Search instead for unregardable.
Synonyms

unreadable

American  
[uhn-ree-duh-buhl] / ʌnˈri də bəl /

adjective

  1. not readable; undecipherable; scribbled.

    His scrawl was almost unreadable.

  2. not interesting to read; dull; tedious; an unreadable treatise.

  3. extraordinarily difficult to read or comprehend; obscure; incomprehensible.

    an unreadable dream; an unreadable expression.


unreadable British  
/ ʌnˈriːdəbəl /

adjective

  1. illegible; undecipherable

  2. difficult or tedious to read

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of unreadable

First recorded in 1795–1805; un- 1 + readable

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.

See Examples For:

A strong undercurrent of that lively book is that it’s good to be unreadable and sneaky: “I play it very loose.”

From The Wall Street Journal Apr. 2, 2026

Critics argue that this policy clearly isn't working, if the terms and conditions are unreadable, and cookie choices are an irritation rather than a valued defence.

From BBC Mar. 4, 2026

But while Melling is always endearingly open and responsive, Skarsgård stays unreadable.

From Los Angeles Times Feb. 5, 2026

Her expression is unreadable, at once thoughtful, curious, interested and detached.

From Los Angeles Times Sep. 1, 2025

And he gave it back to Will, with a disconcerting, unreadable long stare out of his deep black eyes.

From "The Amber Spyglass" by Philip Pullman

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