Standard Lemma guide

unreadable

adj · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: AH0 N R IY1 D AH0 B AH0 L Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
  • CMU ARPABET 2: AH1 N R IY1 D AH0 B AH0 L Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Not written clearly enough to be deciphered.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • unreadable handwriting
  • unreadable charts
  • a machine that cut up secret documents into small unreadable fragments

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: illegible, indecipherable, unclear

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Making an unpleasant reading experience, e.g. because it is dull or upsetting.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • an unreadable book
  • unreadable rants

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adj

Meaning 3

Not able to be accessed or played by some technical device.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • The scratched CD is unreadable.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

adjective satellite

Meaning 4

not easily deciphered

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • indecipherable handwriting

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: indecipherable, unclear, undecipherable

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *né Proto-Indo-European *n̥- Proto-Germanic *un- Proto-West Germanic *un- Old English un- Middle English un- English un- English read Proto-Indo-European *-tḗr Proto-Indo-European *-dhlom Proto-Indo-European *-dhlis Proto-Italic *-ðlis Latin -bilis Latin -ābilis Old French -ablebor. Middle English -able English -able English readable English unreadable From un- + readable.

Across languages

Translations

33 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: неразбираем (nerazbiraem) — that cannot be deciphered
  • Bulgarian: нечетлив (nečetliv) — that cannot be deciphered
  • Dutch: onleesbaar — that cannot be deciphered
  • Dutch: onleesbare — that cannot be deciphered
  • Finnish: lukukelvoton — that cannot be deciphered
  • Finnish: mahdoton lukea — that cannot be deciphered
  • French: illisible — that cannot be deciphered
  • German: unleserlich — that cannot be deciphered
  • German: unlesbar — that cannot be deciphered
  • Greek: δυσανάγνωστος (dysanágnostos) — that cannot be deciphered
  • Hungarian: olvashatatlan — that cannot be deciphered
  • Hungarian: kivehetetlen — that cannot be deciphered
  • Italian: illeggibile — that cannot be deciphered
  • Persian: لایقرء (lâ-yoqra') — that cannot be deciphered
  • Polish: nieczytelny — that cannot be deciphered
  • Russian: неприго́дный для чте́ния (neprigódnyj dlja čténija) — that cannot be deciphered
  • Russian: нечита́бельный (nečitábelʹnyj) — that cannot be deciphered
  • Spanish: ilegible — that cannot be deciphered
  • Swedish: oläslig — that cannot be deciphered
  • Swedish: oläsbar — that cannot be deciphered
  • Bulgarian: безинтересен (bezinteresen) — making an unpleasant reading experience
  • Chinese Mandarin: 不好讀 /不好读 (bùhǎodú) — making an unpleasant reading experience
  • Chinese Mandarin: 不易讀 /不易读 (bùyìdú) — making an unpleasant reading experience
  • French: illisible — making an unpleasant reading experience
  • Greek: δυσκολοδιάβαστος (dyskolodiávastos) — making an unpleasant reading experience
  • Hungarian: unalmas — making an unpleasant reading experience
  • Hungarian: érdektelen — making an unpleasant reading experience
  • Hungarian: nem olvasmányos — making an unpleasant reading experience
  • Italian: illeggibile — making an unpleasant reading experience
  • Russian: нечита́бельный (nečitábelʹnyj) — making an unpleasant reading experience
  • Russian: неприго́дный для чте́ния (neprigódnyj dlja čténija) — making an unpleasant reading experience
  • Swedish: oläsbar — making an unpleasant reading experience
  • Swedish: oläslig — making an unpleasant reading experience