unthinkable
Americanadjective
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inconceivable; unimaginable.
the unthinkable size of the universe.
-
not to be considered; out of the question.
Such a suggestion is unthinkable.
noun
-
unthinkables
plural
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.
“That is a sentiment that was once unthinkable, but the irregular is now the regular.”
From Salon ● Jul. 30, 2026
Anyone who watched the colt win six of eight starts — including the Santa Anita Derby, the Preakness Stakes and finally the Haskell Stakes on July 19, 2025— might find that unthinkable.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2026
Such a shift would have been unthinkable a generation ago.
From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026
US Supreme Court justices told Congress on Tuesday that escalating threats have forced them to confront dangers once unthinkable for the nation's top judges -- including explaining bulletproof vests to their children.
From Barron's ● Jul. 14, 2026
They had made the unthinkable thinkable and the impossible really happen.
From "The God of Small Things" by Arundhati Roy
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.
