unrecognizable

unrecognizable — adjective

1. changed or damaged to such a degree that a person, place, or thing can no longer

1.形容詞B2
釋義

changed or damaged to such a degree that a person, place, or thing can no longer be identified as what it was before

例句

After the earthquake, the old town square was almost unrecognizable to the residents who returned.

passive: be unrecognizable to [someone]

Kabir changed so much after his illness that he was unrecognizable to his old friends.

同義詞
  • unidentifiable

    more neutral — does not imply prior familiarity, just that identification is impossible

  • indistinguishable

    focuses on two or more things looking alike, rather than change in one thing

反義詞
  • recognizable

    the direct opposite — able to be identified from prior knowledge

文法句型

be unrecognizable

be unrecognizable to [someone]

become unrecognizable

用法筆記

Often used with degree adverbs such as 'almost', 'completely', 'virtually', or 'nearly'. The 'to' prepositional phrase is common when stating who fails to recognize the subject.

常見錯誤

❌The body in the morgue was unrecognizable' (when no identification has been attempted).
✅The body in the morgue was unidentified.
💡'unrecognizable' implies the person or thing was known before and has changed; 'unidentified' simply means no identification has been made.

2. not sufficiently clear, detailed, or familiar for someone to determine what or w

2.形容詞B2
釋義

not sufficiently clear, detailed, or familiar for someone to determine what or who it is

例句

The handwriting in the old diary was so faded that it was almost unrecognizable.

passive: be unrecognizable (of handwriting / features)

In the blurry security footage, the suspect's face was completely unrecognizable.

同義詞
  • illegible

    narrower — only applies to writing that cannot be read, not to faces or voices

  • indistinct

    more formal; describes a sensory impression that is not sharp or clear

反義詞
  • clear

    opposite in that something is easy to see, hear, or identify

  • legible

    specifically about writing that can be read clearly

文法句型

be unrecognizable

become unrecognizable

remain unrecognizable

用法筆記

Commonly describes physical features (handwriting, voice, face, signature) that have become unclear due to fading, blurring, distortion, or age. The cause of the lack of clarity is typically mentioned in the surrounding context.