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indecipherably

indecipherably

8.5
So unclear that people cannot read or understand it
  • adverb
  • /ˌɪndɪˈsaɪfərəbli/
translation icon : indescifrablemente
  • I expect the infiltrator is quite surprised when my towel-wrapped fist drives a baseball bat through the window and leaves his unfinished message indecipherably shattered across dozens of triangular fragments.

Examples

  • Bernzy begins to mutter piously, indecipherably, over the ailing man.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • The handwriting on the ancient scroll was faded and indecipherably blurred, making it impossible to read.

  • He whispered the instructions indecipherably, leaving everyone confused about what to do next.

  • The code appeared indecipherably complex, causing the team to struggle with decrypting the message.

Synonyms

indistinctly
vsindecipherably
23 6.3

Hard to see, hear, or remember clearly

is stronger meaning it cannot be read or understood at all not just vague
incoherently
vsindecipherably
5 6.7

In a way that is not clear or logical

is about inability to read or interpret, not just lacking logical order
incomprehensibly
vsindecipherably
2 8.0

It is very hard to understand

is absolute inability not only a very high level of difficulty
unintelligibly
vsindecipherably
2 8.1

In a way that is very hard to understand

is broader, including inability to read or interpret as well as understand
impenetrably
vsindecipherably
1 8.9

Impossible to go through or understand

is specific to not being read or interpreted rather than physical blockage
inscrutably
vsindecipherably
1 9.6

In a way that hides what someone feels and is hard to understand

is more neutral and literal rather than mysterious in tone
illegibly
vsindecipherably
1 6.5

In a way that is hard for others to read

is broader, covering inability to understand or interpret text not only reading problems
undecipherably
vsindecipherably
9.8

In a way people cannot read or understand

is the identical sense but with different wording rather than tone
unreadably
vsindecipherably
7.7

In a way so messy or faint you cannot make out the letters

is about inability to understand or interpret, not only failure to see or read letters

How Decipherable

clearly
881 1.0
legibly
3 2.3
indecipherably
8.5

Surface Forms

indecipherably positive

Morphology

indecipherably = indecipherable (transparent) = in + decipher + able + ly

Adding '-ly' to the adjective 'indecipherable' gives the regular adverb meaning 'in an indecipherable way'.

Etymology

The word indecipherably joins in- meaning 'not' and decipher, which comes from cipher meaning 'code'. Think of decipher as 'undoing a code', so indecipherably means 'in a way that cannot be read or understood'.