impossible
Americanadjective
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not possible; unable to be, exist, happen, etc.
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unable to be done, performed, effected, etc..
an impossible assignment.
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incapable of being true, as a rumor.
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not to be done, endured, etc., with any degree of reason or propriety.
an impossible situation.
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utterly impracticable.
an impossible plan.
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hopelessly unsuitable, difficult, or objectionable.
- Synonyms:
- unmanageable, intolerable, unbearable
adjective
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incapable of being done, undertaken, or experienced
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incapable of occurring or happening
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absurd or inconceivable; unreasonable
it's impossible to think of him as a bishop
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informal intolerable; outrageous
those children are impossible
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of impossible
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English word from Latin word impossibilis. See im- 2, possible
Explanation
Something that's impossible can't be done. If you want to stop eating donuts but you just can't, you might say it's impossible. If it's impossible, it cannot happen, or it doesn't exist. You might wish you could bring Abraham Lincoln back to life for a day so he could come to tea, but that's impossible. People use the word impossible to mean "out of reach" or "too hard to achieve." A terrible situation can be impossible, and so can a person who refuses to compromise or seems intent on making things difficult for everyone else.
Vocabulary lists containing impossible
List 1
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myPerspectives 7.3
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im-
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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.
Terry Haines of Pangaea Policy said in a note that the likelihood of finding enough evidence to meet the statutory “for cause” standard to remove her is low, but not impossible.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 9, 2026
With Hartnett weaving through the entire story, it’s nearly impossible to get a handle on what’s really going on in “Verity.”
From Salon ● Oct. 9, 2026
Another club source, however, said the degree of scrutiny on Burnham now means they think any interference would be impossible.
From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026
So what happened next was almost impossible for him to wrap his head around.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
“When do you have to leave?” the impossible boy asked like he was reading her mind.
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
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.
