by no stretch of the imagination
- idiom
- Informal
:
de ninguna manera
- By no stretch of the imagination could this report be considered complete.
Examples
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This is by no stretch of the imagination a simple task.
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That restaurant is by no stretch of the imagination affordable.
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Her performance was by no stretch of the imagination impressive.
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He is by no stretch of the imagination a good singer.
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By no stretch of the imagination could this report be considered complete.
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Her performance was by no stretch of the imagination impressive.
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He is by no stretch of the imagination a good singer.
Synonyms
331
1.0
In no way
65
4.2
To say that something is not true or not possible at all
3
5.6
It is not true or possible in any way
Not true at all
Not true at all
Antonyms
How Negative
Surface Forms
Morphology
by + no + stretch + of + the + imagination
The components 'stretch' + 'imagination' evoke an extent one can imagine and the negator 'no' signals impossibility, so a learner could plausibly infer the overall sense 'not at all' from the parts. However, the phrase is a conventionalized, somewhat formal idiom whose fixed wording and figurative use of 'stretch' are not fully predictable for a B1 learner without prior exposure, making it only partially transparent.
Etymology
By no stretch of the imagination creates a picture: imagine your imagination as a rubber band you can stretch, but no amount of stretching will make the idea true. So it means 'not at all'.