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View synonyms for

impossible

[ im-pos-uh-buhl ]

adjective

  1. not possible; unable to be, exist, happen, etc.
  2. unable to be done, performed, effected, etc.:

    an impossible assignment.

  3. incapable of being true, as a rumor.
  4. not to be done, endured, etc., with any degree of reason or propriety:

    an impossible situation.

  5. utterly impracticable:

    an impossible plan.

  6. hopelessly unsuitable, difficult, or objectionable.

    Synonyms: , ,



impossible

/ ɪˈɒəə /

adjective

  1. incapable of being done, undertaken, or experienced
  2. incapable of occurring or happening
  3. absurd or inconceivable; unreasonable

    it's impossible to think of him as a bishop

  4. informal.
    intolerable; outrageous

    those children are impossible

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Derived Forms

  • ˈDz, adverb
  • ˈDzԱ, noun
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Other Word Forms

  • ·Dzs··Ա noun
  • ·Dzs· adverb
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Word History and Origins

Origin of impossible1

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English word from Latin word impossibilis. See im- 2, possible
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Metaphorically speaking, of course, since many people think it would be impossible to do a worse job of opposing President Donald Trump.

From

Asked whether it was impossible to get every RTS meter switched over by 30 June, he said: "I wouldn't want to say impossible - but clearly very, very difficult to get to that point."

From

But it is often impossible to restore compromised services without the hackers' key – meaning the only way around it is to either use back-ups or install new systems and start again.

From

Mr Gulden said it was "currently impossible to quantify" cost increases resulting from tariffs, "or to conclude what impact this could have on the consumer demand for our products".

From

Until now the amount of carbon stored by the 1.5 trillion trees in the planet's rainforests has been impossible to calculate.

From

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impossibilityimpossible figure