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undecipherably

undecipherably

9.8
In a way people cannot read or understand
  • adverb
  • /ˌʌndɪˈsaɪfərəbli/
translation icon : indescifrablemente
  • The doctor wrote the prescription undecipherably, making it hard for the pharmacist to fill.

Examples

  • He mumbled undecipherably under his breath, so no one could catch what he said.

  • The note was written undecipherably.

  • The ancient text was undecipherably faded after centuries of weathering.

  • He spoke undecipherably during the meeting.

  • The ancient manuscript was written undecipherably, leaving scholars puzzled for decades.

  • She scribbled the directions undecipherably, so I had difficulty finding the location.

  • His handwriting was so undecipherably messy that I could not make out any of the words.

Synonyms

indistinctly
vsundecipherably
23 6.3

Hard to see, hear, or remember clearly

means more extreme impossible to read or fully understand
incoherently
vsundecipherably
5 6.7

In a way that is not clear or logical

focuses more on illegibility or complete inability to understand
confusingly
vsundecipherably
3 4.0

In a way that makes it hard to understand

is stronger and means totally unreadable or not understandable
unintelligibly
vsundecipherably
2 8.1

In a way that is very hard to understand

also includes inability to read as well as failure to grasp meaning
incomprehensibly
vsundecipherably
2 8.0

It is very hard to understand

is similar but places more weight on unreadability too
illegibly
vsundecipherably
1 6.5

In a way that is hard for others to read

also applies when both reading and understanding are impossible
indecipherably
vsundecipherably
8.5

So unclear that people cannot read or understand it

means the same and covers both not readable and not understandable cases
unreadably
vsundecipherably
7.7

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

covers reading failure and extends to not understanding the content

How Decipherable

legibly
3 2.3
readably
3.7
unclearly
1 4.4
illegibly
1 6.5
undecipherably
9.8

Surface Forms

undecipherably positive

Morphology

undecipherably = undecipherable (transparent) = un + decipher + ably

The adverb is transparently formed from the adjective 'undecipherable'.

Etymology

Undecipherably is built from un- 'not' and decipher 'to read a code', and the ending -ly turns it into a word that shows how something is done. Think of a secret note written in a code you cannot read, so when someone speaks or writes undecipherably they do it in a way you cannot understand.