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Showing results for unreadable. Search instead for untreadable.
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:

His PowerPoint slides were unreadable because of small text and the auditorium’s bright lights.

From Los Angeles Times Jul. 10, 2026

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

The kid from Omaha who once needed counselling for his temper and who survived a shooting moved through the ring with a serene, almost unreadable focus.

From BBC Sep. 14, 2025

But I don’t know that the justices can manage their public image and reputation by continuing to be incomprehensible, unreadable, or jurisdictional.

From Slate Jun. 2, 2025

The commandant stood up and stared at her, his eyes gray and unreadable.

From "The Devil's Arithmetic" by Jane Yolen

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