impossible

Examples

• All

• This was thought to be an impossible problem to solve.

• Without the guidance of service policies and procedures, it is impossible to ensure consistent service quality.

  Academic text (2011)

• And you might wonder and you might think it's impossible, but it's not.

• You know, of course it's impossible to always have that.

  High Performance

• Since this seemed suddenly impossible, I did the next best thing.

• Many businesses stated that the asking price made it impossible to realize a profit.

  Academic text (2017)

• School and student success are virtually impossible without the use of distributed or shared leadership.

  Academic text (2015)

• It always seems impossible until it's done.

  Lex Fridman

• Ideal storage conditions are plainly impossible to achieve for film in public use areas.

  Academic text (2013)

• It's impossible to finish the race without proper training and preparation.

Synonyms

U

unthinkable

vsimpossible

89 5.7

Impossible to imagine or accept as an option

states absolute inability without reference to imagination or belief

U

unimaginable

vsimpossible

63 5.4

So strange or large that people cannot believe it

describes factual inability rather than just difficulty imagining it

O

out of the question

vsimpossible

56 2.7

Not possible or allowed to do

denotes absolute inability to happen or exist, not mere rule or refusal

I

inconceivable

vsimpossible

46 7.4

Impossible to imagine or believe

asserts real inability to happen or exist beyond mere disbelief

U

unattainable

vsimpossible

18 6.3

Not possible to get or reach

is broader, including things that cannot exist or occur, not just reachability

U

unsolvable

vsimpossible

8 5.3

Not possible to find an answer

is wider, covering total nonexistence rather than just lack of solution

U

unobtainable

vsimpossible

7 6.1

Impossible to get

is broader, including events or states that cannot happen or exist

U

unfeasible

vsimpossible

4 6.8

Not possible to do or make work

covers inability that is absolute, not only impracticality or lack of means

U

unachievable

vsimpossible

3 6.3

Not possible to do or reach

also covers events that cannot happen or exist, not only achievements

I

infeasible

vsimpossible

2 7.2

Not possible to do or make happen

refers more widely to things that cannot exist or occur at all

I

impracticable

vsimpossible

• Formal

1 7.3

Not possible to do in real life because of problems

also applies when something cannot exist or happen at all

U

undoable

vsimpossible

1 4.9

Not possible to do because of little time or no help

covers not happening or existing as well as failing to be done

U

unpossible

vsimpossible

• Archaic

1 9.9

Cannot be done

is the current standard form used in modern writing and speech

U

unrealizable

vsimpossible

• US

1 8.5

Impossible to do or make real

covers complete inability to happen or exist as well as failure to be realized

Antonyms

P

possible

4 2.7

A thing that can be done or achieved

Compounds

I

impossible dream

4 6.8

A hope for something you cannot achieve

M

mission impossible

• Informal

3 7.2

A task that is so difficult people think it cannot be done

How Possible

certain

946 1.0

likely

∞ 1.0

possible

∞ 1.0

unlikely

487 1.9

impossible

∞ 1.4

Surface Forms

Morphology

Etymology