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: unmanageable, intolerable, unbearable

impossible

/ ɪmˈpɒsəbəl /

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

Other Word Forms

• impossibly adverb
• impossibleness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of impossible¹

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

Example Sentences

Rather than knock down his expectation and explain that it’s impossible for any adviser to outperform the market consistently, Donovan proposed a win-win solution.

Read more on MarketWatch

That’s a recipe for shrinking most people’s economic opportunities, and it’s impossible for a nation to shrink its way to prosperity.

Read more on MarketWatch

The commentators who rebuked Israel’s strategy, urged the nation to abandon its hostages and compromise its borders and declared it impossible to defeat Hamas were wrong.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Poking around the Internet allows Ron to rationalize his way into impossible answers.

Read more on Salon

She said the staff had noticed "a small lump on Lira's jawline" but it had been impossible to tell "the extent of the problem".

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• absurd 
• futile 
• hopeless 
• impassable 
• impractical 
• inaccessible 
• inconceivable 
• insurmountable 
• preposterous 
• unattainable 
• unimaginable 
• unreasonable 
• unthinkable 
• unworkable 
• useless