as in unreadable
incapable of being read or deciphered
illegible signatures on the petition will be disregarded
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 illegible
In other words, the historical record seems as illegible as my own prehistoric handwriting.
—
Literary Hub, 12 June 2025
But for anyone who has ever returned from a conference with a collection of illegible notes and unusable photos, the promise is clear: better technology can preserve more value with significantly less effort.
—Roger Dooley, Forbes.com, 10 June 2025
When the works’ motors are switched on, the sculptures spin rapidly and the texts dissolve in a whirl of motion, becoming nearly or entirely illegible.
—Marina Isgro, Artforum, 1 June 2025
Acronyms and jargon illegible to civilians are flying everywhere, and the world effectively shrinks down to a two-story duplex the Americans have commandeered and the market across the street viewed almost exclusively through a sniper’s scope.
—Paul A. Thompson, Pitchfork, 17 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for illegible
Literary Hub, 12 June 2025
But for anyone who has ever returned from a conference with a collection of illegible notes and unusable photos, the promise is clear: better technology can preserve more value with significantly less effort.
—Roger Dooley, Forbes.com, 10 June 2025
When the works’ motors are switched on, the sculptures spin rapidly and the texts dissolve in a whirl of motion, becoming nearly or entirely illegible.
—Marina Isgro, Artforum, 1 June 2025
Acronyms and jargon illegible to civilians are flying everywhere, and the world effectively shrinks down to a two-story duplex the Americans have commandeered and the market across the street viewed almost exclusively through a sniper’s scope.
—Paul A. Thompson, Pitchfork, 17 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for illegible
Recent Examples of Synonyms for illegible
Adjective
-
The serial number on the rifle was obliterated and unreadable.—
Jay Weaver,
Miami Herald,
5 Sep. 2025
-
To some extent, the script takes pains to keep Alma unreadable.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
29 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Sunway was transformed by Jeffrey Cheah from an obscure tin-mining company over the five decades into one of Malaysia’s biggest conglomerates with interests in construction, education, healthcare, infrastructure and real estate.—
Jonathan Burgos,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
-
Robinson also explained the obscure engravings found on bullet casings that were left behind at the scene.—
Connor Greene,
Time,
17 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Many listeners felt the quality of Lennon’s home recordings left the singer muddy and indecipherable in the mix.—
Dave Paulson,
Forbes.com,
19 Aug. 2025
-
The two new model names—gpt-oss-120b and gpt-oss-20b—may be indecipherable to non-engineers, but that’s because OpenAI is setting its sights on AI builders and developers seeking to rapidly build on real-world use cases on their own systems.—
Andrew Nusca,
Fortune,
6 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Subways send a low rumble through the pavement, traffic makes overpasses quiver, and footsteps create faint ripples in the floor.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
13 Sep. 2025
-
For objects like star clusters, a longer imaging time gives you the chance to resolve fainter stars.—
Harry Bennett,
Space.com,
11 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Several creators who previously worked day jobs tell Rolling Stone that there’s an ongoing stigma surrounding the idea of leaving a steady day job — a stigma that’s decided less by rules and more by undecipherable vibes.—
CT Jones,
Rolling Stone,
26 July 2025
-
Claims complexity: The billing process between hospitals and insurers is opaque to patients, who often receive surprising and undecipherable bills months after receiving care.—
Dan Gingiss,
Forbes.com,
11 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
The purpose of the dome remains unclear, though scientists have suggested pachycephalosaurs may have used them to butt heads in combat or to impress potential mates.—
Jay Ganglani,
NBC news,
18 Sep. 2025
-
His precise motive remains unclear.—
Jalen Williams,
Freep.com,
18 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Illegible.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/illegible. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share