hieroglyphic

/haɪrəˈglɪfɪk/

/haɪrəʊˈglɪfɪk/

Other forms: hieroglyphics

If your written language consists of pictures rather than letters and words, your written communication would be hieroglyphic in nature. Ancient Egyptian writing was hieroglyphic.

The pictures that make up hieroglyphic language are called hieroglyphs. The word descended from the Greek hierogluphikos which could be translated to mean "sacred carvings." Back when written communication was literally carved in stone, most of what was written was important, or "sacred." Today if someone describes your handwriting as hieroglyphic, they mean something quite different — your writing is awful and illegible.

Definitions of hieroglyphic

1. noun

   a writing system using picture symbols; used in ancient Egypt
   synonyms: hieroglyph

   types:

   hieratic, hieratic script

   a cursive form of Egyptian hieroglyphics; used especially by the priests

   Demotic, Demotic script

   a simplified cursive form of the ancient hieratic script

   type of:

   orthography, writing system

   a method of representing the sounds of a language by written or printed symbols
2. noun

   writing that resembles hieroglyphics (usually by being illegible)
   synonyms: hieroglyph

   type of:

   writing

   letters or symbols that are written or imprinted on a surface to represent the sounds or words of a language
3. adjective

   written in or belonging to a writing system using pictorial symbols
   synonyms: hieroglyphical
4. adjective

   resembling hieroglyphic writing
   synonyms: hieroglyphical