What does "hieroglyphic" mean?
A writing system of ancient Egypt, Minoans, Maya and other civilizations, using pictorial symbols to represent individual sounds, often as a rebus.
Hieroglyphic
/ˌhaɪɹəˈɡlɪfɪk/ adj, noun
adj, noun ·Moderate ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A writing system of ancient Egypt, Minoans, Maya and other civilizations, using pictorial symbols to represent individual sounds, often as a rebus.
- Grammar: hieroglyphic is listed as adj, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: alphabet, arrowhead, art, blueprint.
- Useful contrasts: alphabet, alphabetic, alphabetic writing.
- Usage evidence: As peace is of all goodness, so war is an emblem, a hieroglyphic, of all misery.
How to use "hieroglyphic"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "hieroglyphic" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "hieroglyphic" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "hieroglyphic" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "hieroglyphic" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "hieroglyphic" is acting as adj, noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "alphabet" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "hieroglyphic", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A writing system of ancient Egypt, Minoans, Maya and other civilizations, using pictorial symbols to represent individual sounds, often as a rebus. in-plural
- 2 a writing system using picture symbols; used in ancient Egypt wordnet
- 3 Any symbol used in this system; a hieroglyph.
"I must say, that, at the coronation, there was little vestige left as possible "of the charms that pleased a king." "She looked," Lady Mary Wortley said, "like an Egyptian mummy, wrought with hieroglyphics of gold.""
- 4 writing that resembles hieroglyphics (usually by being illegible) wordnet
- 5 Undecipherable handwriting or secret symbol. broadly
"Above all, the 48-page timetables of the new service, which have been distributed free at every station in the scheme, are a model to the rest of B.R. For the first time on British Railways, so far as we are aware, a substantial timetable has been produced, not only without a single footnote but also devoid of all wearisome asterisks, stars, letter suffixes and other hieroglyphics."
Adjective
- 1 Of, relating to, or written with such a system of symbols.
"hieroglyphic writing"
- 2 Difficult to decipher.
Adjective
- 1 written in or belonging to a writing system using pictorial symbols wordnet
- 2 resembling hieroglyphic writing wordnet
Antonyms
Example
"As peace is of all goodness, so war is an emblem, a hieroglyphic, of all misery."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "hieroglyphic"?
Common synonyms include: alphabet, arrowhead, art, blueprint, character, charactering.
How do you use "hieroglyphic" in a sentence?
As peace is of all goodness, so war is an emblem, a hieroglyphic, of all misery.
How do you pronounce "hieroglyphic"?
Pronounced /ˌhaɪɹəˈɡlɪfɪk/.
Etymology
First coined 1726, from French hiéroglyphique, from Latin hieroglyphicus, from Ancient Greek ἱερογλυφικός (hierogluphikós), from ἱερογλυφέω (hierogluphéō, “to represent hieroglyphically”), from ἱερός (hierós, “sacred, holy”) + γλύφω (glúphō, “to carve, to engrave, to cut out”). By surface analysis, hiero- + glyphic.