unrecognizable
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unrecognizable
Changed, damaged, or covered so severely that the original person or thing can no longer be recognized.
Durch den Brand wurde das Gebäude bis zur Unkenntlichkeit zerstört.
The building was destroyed beyond recognition by the fire.
to make unrecognizable
To alter certain areas in an image or video, such as faces or license plates, so that the person or object can no longer be identified.
In der Reportage wurden die Gesichter der Kinder unkenntlich gemacht.
In the report, the children's faces were made unrecognizable.
The adjective is made up of the negative prefix 'un-' and the word 'kenntlich' (recognizable). 'Kenntlich' comes from 'kennen' (to know). So 'unkenntlich' literally means 'not recognizable'.
Seine Handschrift war so schlecht, dass die Notizen fast unkenntlich waren.
His handwriting was so bad that the notes were almost unrecognizable.
The adjective is very commonly used in the fixed expression 'bis zur Unkenntlichkeit' (beyond recognition) to express an extreme degree of change or destruction. It often appears with verbs such as 'verändern' (to change), 'zerstören' (to destroy), or 'verbrennen' (to burn).
Das alte Foto war durch die Sonneneinstrahlung bis zur Unkenntlichkeit verblasst.
The old photo had faded beyond recognition because of the sunlight.
In this meaning, 'unkenntlich' is almost always used as part of the fixed combination 'etwas unkenntlich machen' (to make something unrecognizable). Typical objects are things you want to hide for privacy reasons, such as 'Gesichter' (faces), 'Namen' (names), or 'Autokennzeichen' (license plates).
Bevor er das Dokument weitergab, machte er alle persönlichen Daten unkenntlich.
Before he passed on the document, he made all personal data unrecognizable.
unclear
Both words can describe a face that is difficult to recognize. Undeutlich means that the face lacks clarity but may still be recognizable. It is unkenntlich only when identification is no longer possible. Use undeutlich when recognizability is limited and unkenntlich when it is absent.
Durch den schwarzen Balken ist das Gesicht auf dem Foto unkenntlich.
The black bar makes the face in the photo unrecognizable.
Das Gesicht ist auf dem alten Foto undeutlich, aber ich erkenne meinen Bruder noch.
The face is indistinct in the old photo, but I can still recognize my brother.
