unreadable

adjective

ˌən-ˈrē-də-bəl How to pronounce unreadable (audio)
Definition of unreadablenext
as in illegible
incapable of being read or deciphered the old book contains an inscription, but the handwriting is cramped and unreadable

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of unreadable The ocean essentially became unreadable, with visibility collapsing not for hours but for months at a time. — Melissa Cristina Márquez, Forbes.com, 23 June 2026 Vault contents remain unreadable until the user enters the master password, which acts as a decryption key. — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 4 June 2026 Encryption converts your data into unreadable code when it's being transmitted or stored. — Rebecca Safier, USA Today, 4 June 2026 Denilson Baniwa has argued that one of Indigenous art’s most effective instruments of resistance is disguise—the adoption of non-Indigenous forms to achieve legibility in white, institutional terms, while the actual logic resides elsewhere, unreadable to those the work isn’t intended for. — María Carri, Artforum, 16 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for unreadable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unreadable
illegible
Adjective
  • On both, as ever, his illegible mumble suggests shame in his own voice, or even guilt about being here at all (some of his enduring illnesses relate to PTSD from cradling a dying friend in his lap after a gang attack as a teen).
    — Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 30 July 2026
  • But, outside of clothing items and a set of denture plates inscribed with a partially illegible set of numbers, there was too little evidence recovered from the scene to generate leads in the case.
    — Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 29 July 2026
Definition of illegible

Browse Nearby Words

unread
unreadable
unreadiness
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Cite this Entry

“Unreadable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unreadable. Accessed 16 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on unreadable

Nglish: Translation of unreadable for Spanish Speakers

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