unthinkable
Americanadjective
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inconceivable; unimaginable.
the unthinkable size of the universe.
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not to be considered; out of the question.
Such a suggestion is unthinkable.
noun
adjective
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not to be contemplated; out of the question
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unimaginable; inconceivable
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unreasonable; improbable
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of unthinkable
late Middle English word dating back to 1400–50; see origin at un- 1, thinkable
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“Leadership, organization and strategy are not prerequisites,” Charles Kurzman, professor of sociology at the University of North Carolina and author of The Unthinkable Revolution in Iran, said in a phone call.
From Slate • Dec. 22, 2022
Your book "Unthinkable" went straight to No. 1 on the New York Times bestseller list.
From Salon • Feb. 13, 2022
A better title for the article would have been "In Boulder, Where Unfathomable Wealth Meets Unthinkable Superficiality" Totally pointless article that hits on all the clichés of Boulder history and ignores all the downsides.
From New York Times • Aug. 31, 2016
On 9 November 1978, in a now-famous cable, "Thinking the Unthinkable," the US ambassador to Iran, William Sullivan, warned that the Shah was doomed.
From BBC • Jun. 2, 2016
Unthinkable to disobey the iron voice from the wall.
From "1984" by George Orwell
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
