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
-
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.
Why they wouldn’t prioritize Brink’s development alongside winning as they strive to snap a previously unthinkable five-year playoff drought.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 12, 2026
This has made unthinkable a conventional armored thrust to Tehran, along the lines of the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 10, 2026
"On one hand, it would have been unthinkable a few months ago that Jodar could even be competing in a Grand Slam," Spanish tennis journalist Alejandro Ciriza told BBC Sport.
From BBC • Jun. 1, 2026
E. Jean Carroll achieved the unthinkable and might end up paying a price for it.
From Slate • Jun. 1, 2026
That any of them could be true— literally true—seemed unthinkable.
From "Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children" by Ransom Riggs
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.
