unreadable

/ʌnˈriːdəbl/ (bre, ipa) · [ənrˈidəbəl] /ʌnˈriːdəbl/ (ame, ipa) · [ənrˈidəbəl] /ˌən-ˈrē-də-bəl How to pronounce unreadable (audio)/ (ame, mw)

unreadable — adjective

  • unreadablepositive
  • more unreadablecomparative
  • most unreadablesuperlative

1. If a book, article, or other written work is unreadable, it is so badly written,

1.形容詞B2
釋義

If a book, article, or other written work is unreadable, it is so badly written, boring, or full of complicated language that nobody wants to or can comfortably read it.

例句

Gabriel had to put down the novel after ten pages — he found it completely unreadable.

find + object + unreadable

The committee's report was practically unreadable because of all the technical terms.

be + unreadable + because of [reason]

同義詞
  • boring

    more general — can describe any activity or thing, not just written material

  • tedious

    emphasises that something is long and slow, making the reader lose patience

  • dull

    suggests a lack of interest or excitement rather than poor quality

反義詞
  • readable

    the direct opposite; pleasant and clear enough to read

  • gripping

    the extreme opposite; so interesting that the reader cannot stop

文法句型

be + unreadable

find + object + unreadable

make + object + unreadable

常見錯誤

❌The doctor's handwriting was unreadable because the content was boring.
✅The doctor's article was unreadable because the content was boring.
💡'Handwriting' relates to physical legibility (sense 2); for content quality, describe the written work itself, not the writing method.

2. If handwriting, print, or other written marks are unreadable, they are not clear

2.形容詞B2
釋義

If handwriting, print, or other written marks are unreadable, they are not clear enough to be understood — for example, because the writing is very messy, the print is too small, or the surface is damaged.

例句

The doctor's handwriting was so unreadable that the pharmacist had to call for clarification.

so + unreadable + that-clause

Joon could not read his own lecture notes because the rushed writing was unreadable.

be + unreadable + because [reason]

同義詞
  • illegible

    the exact synonym; more formal and more specific to handwriting and print

  • indecipherable

    more formal; suggests the text is like a code or puzzle, not just messy

  • faint

    specifically about writing or print being too light or pale to see clearly

反義詞
  • legible

    the direct opposite; clear enough to read easily

  • clear

    broader and more common; describes writing that is easy to understand visually

文法句型

be + unreadable

become + unreadable

make + object + unreadable

so + unreadable + that-clause

用法筆記

Distinguish from sense 1 (NOT WORTH READING): sense 1 describes the quality of the content (boring, poorly written), while this sense describes physical legibility (handwriting, print quality, ink smudges, faded material). A love letter written in messy handwriting is unreadable in this sense but not necessarily unreadable in sense 1.

常見錯誤

❌The novel was so unreadable that I could not make out a single word on the page.
✅The handwritten note was so unreadable that I could not make out a single word.
💡'Novel' implies a published book, whose content quality makes it unreadable (sense 1); for physical illegibility, specify a handwritten or damaged text.