illegible
Can't be read
Illegible describes writing or print that cannot be read, usually because it's too messy, faded, or poorly formed: His handwriting was completely illegible.
The word applies to text that exists but can't be deciphered, unlike blank pages that have nothing to read.
The water-damaged document was mostly illegible.
Careless, illegible writing
- scribbleWrite without care
- smudgedBlurred by contact
- blurredIndistinct, lacking clarity
- messyLacking order or neatness
spidery · squiggles · cursive · smeared · faded · cramped · scratchy · sloppy
Indistinct, lacking clarity
- fadedLost original color
- smudgedBlurred by contact
- pixelatedComposed of visible squares
- low-resolutionPoor image clarity
washed-out · overexposed · degraded · corrupted · distorted · grainy · fuzzy · faint
Impossible to interpret
- hieroglyphicsSymbolic picture-based writing
- glyphsCarved symbolic figures
- cuneiformStylus-impressed ancient script
- runesOld Germanic script
symbols · characters · manuscript · palimpsest · ancient · archaic · encoded · cipher
Pulled into pieces
- stainedMarred by discoloration
- burntDamaged by heat
- water-damagedHarmed by moisture exposure
- crumpledCrushed into irregular folds
defaced · obliterated · effaced · erased · redacted · mutilated · deteriorated · decomposed
scrawl
Careless, illegible writing
messy · spidery · squiggles · cursive · smeared · faded · cramped · scratchy · sloppy · hasty
blurred
Indistinct, lacking clarity
low-resolution · washed-out · overexposed · degraded · corrupted · distorted · grainy · fuzzy · faint · waterlogged
undecipherable
Impossible to interpret
- hieroglyphicsSymbolic picture-based writing
- glyphsCarved symbolic figures
- cuneiformStylus-impressed ancient script
runes · symbols · characters · manuscript · palimpsest · ancient · archaic · encoded · cipher · shorthand
torn
Pulled into pieces
- stainedMarred by discoloration
- burntDamaged by heat
- water-damagedHarmed by moisture exposure
crumpled · defaced · obliterated · effaced · erased · redacted · mutilated · deteriorated · decomposed · moldy
- handwritingcursive, block letters, penmanship, print letters, letter formation
- hard to readblurry text, faded print, blurred, smudged, faded
- signaturesautograph, John Hancock, initials, mark, flourish
- visionsharp, eye, visual perception, sight, eyes
- mysteriousmysterious, cryptic, enigmatic, arcane, obscure
- paper conditionsyellowed, faded, torn, creased, wrinkled
- illegible handwritingScript too messy to decipher
- illegible textWriting too unclear to decipher