unthinkable

American  

[uhn-thing-kuh-buhl] / ʌnˈθɪŋ kə bəl /

adjective

1. inconceivable; unimaginable.

   the unthinkable size of the universe.

2. not to be considered; out of the question.

   Such a suggestion is unthinkable.

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noun

1. something that cannot be conceived or imagined, as something too unusual, vague, or disagreeable.

   Today's unthinkables are tomorrow's realities.

unthinkable British  

/ ʌnˈθɪŋkəbəl /

adjective

1. not to be contemplated; out of the question

2. unimaginable; inconceivable

3. unreasonable; improbable

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Other Word Forms

• unthinkability noun
• unthinkableness noun
• unthinkably adverb

Etymology

Origin of unthinkable

late Middle English word dating back to 1400–50; un- ¹, thinkable

Example Sentences

For a club like Tottenham, relegation in the modern era had always been completely unthinkable.

From The Wall Street Journal

It is the need to avoid an unthinkable first relegation from the top flight since 1977 which will inform the club's next steps.

From BBC

“To me, it was not just the worst-case scenario. It was an unthinkable scenario.”

From The Wall Street Journal

You never know when you’ll find yourself on the ground floor of a scandal, reading a story that will change history forever and result in the unthinkable.

From Salon

Still, the rise of Anthropic would have been practically unthinkable just a few months ago.

From MarketWatch

Related Words

• absurd
• extraordinary
• illogical
• implausible
• impossible
• improbable
• inconceivable
• preposterous
• rare
• unbelievable
• uncommon
• unimaginable
• unlikely
• unreasonable