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illegible

/ɪˈlɛdʒəbl/ adjective C1 Neutral

Meaning

Illegible means not clear enough to be read or deciphered.
💡 Use 'illegible' to describe handwriting or text that cannot be easily read.

Example Sentences

Despite her best efforts to decipher the hastily scribbled note , the handwriting remained utterly illegible , leaving her frustrated and bewildered .
During the meeting , the team expressed frustration because the handwritten notes from the previous session were completely illegible , hindering their ability to review key points .
The committee was unable to proceed with the evaluation of the application due to the illegible handwriting on the submitted forms .
The researchers encountered difficulties in data analysis due to the illegible handwriting of some survey respondents , which necessitated additional efforts in data verification .

Word in Context

Marina spent her Saturday morning organizing a stack of research notes , aiming to reconcile scattered observations before the seminar . Most pages were neatly annotated , but one sheet was almost illegible because her supervisor had written hastily between printed passages . Although she tried to decipher the rushed script , several crucial references remained ambiguous , which made her pause and retrace the argument structure . She compared the marginalia with the relevant articles and , where the handwriting failed , interpolated likely phrases from the context . Rather than rush through the reconstruction , she adopted a meticulous approach and flagged uncertain points for discussion , mindful that assumptions could compromise the analysis . By the time a colleague stopped by , they had already resolved most difficulties and , provided that a couple of citations were confirmed , felt prepared to present a coherent summary .

Common Phrases

Synonyms

Antonyms

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