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unbelievable

unbelievable

492 4.9
Very surprising and almost impossible to accept as true
  • adjective
  • /ˌʌnbɪˈliːvəbl/
: increíble
  • The magician performed an unbelievable trick that left the audience gasping.
  • almost unbelievable
  • seem unbelievable
  • an unbelievable process

They had this, they had this unbelievable setup of security.

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Examples

  • The concentration of wildlife was unbelievable in this little place of only a few square miles.

    Academic text (2003)
  • And Sergio, I think it was unbelievable for all of us.

  • It's, it's, it's unbelievable how fast it's moving.

  • There, within his field of vision, was the unbelievable potential of a new human life.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • Most of the stories I heard seemed unbelievable until they happened to me.

    Academic text (1992)
  • These people have an unbelievable inner life that is going on.

  • It's because of this unbelievable bond of love and trust.

  • Days will be spent with an unbelievable array of animals, especially predators.

    Academic text (1999)
  • Do people know you because of your unbelievable work ethic?

  • I've had some unbelievable England trips with Jamie.

Synonyms

incredible
vsunbelievable
∞ 3.5

Very surprising or hard to believe

is similar but stresses extreme unlikelihood that resists belief
extraordinary
vsunbelievable
  • Formal
746 3.8

Very unusual or much greater than usual

is more about causing disbelief through extreme unlikeness or improbability
remarkable
vsunbelievable
591 2.8

Unusual and easy to notice because it is different or surprising

is stronger, implying the surprising fact is hard to accept as true
unlikely
vsunbelievable
486 1.9

People do not expect it to happen or be true

is more forceful, implying it is very difficult to accept as true
absurd
vsunbelievable
284 4.4

So silly or unreasonable that it makes no sense

is about being hard to accept as true rather than just illogical
astonishing
vsunbelievable
135 3.4

Very surprising and making you feel great wonder

is less about wonder and more about being hard to believe
unimaginable
vsunbelievable
66 5.4

So strange or large that people cannot believe it

is similar but puts more weight on disbelief than imaginability
outrageous
vsunbelievable
54 4.2

Too high to be fair or reasonable

is closer to sheer improbability rather than moral or social excess
improbable
vsunbelievable
51 4.9

Not likely to happen or be true

is stronger, implying near impossibility rather than just low chance
unreal
vsunbelievable
  • Informal
43 5.1

Very impressive and hard to believe

is about not being believable rather than informal praise or amazement
inconceivable
vsunbelievable
40 7.4

Impossible to imagine or believe

is close but focuses more on being unlikely rather than unimaginable
implausible
vsunbelievable
25 7.0

Not likely to be true or hard to believe

is stronger, suggesting it is hard or impossible to believe

Antonyms

98 3.7

Easy to accept as true

How Believable

believable
98 3.7
unbelievable
492 4.9
unlikely
486 1.9
improbable
51 4.9
impossible
∞ 1.4

Surface Forms

unbelievable positive
unbelievabler comparative
unbelievablest superlative

Morphology

unbelievable = believable (transparent) = un + believe + able

Formed by adding the productive prefix 'un-' to the adjective 'believable' (itself 'believe' + '-able'), so the negative meaning is directly predictable.

Etymology

The word unbelievable is made of the prefix un- meaning 'not' and believe meaning 'accept as true'. So, something unbelievable is 'not able to be believed', usually because it is very surprising or unlikely.