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impossible

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impossible

  • /ɪmˈpɒs.ɪ.bəl/ UK
  • [ɪmˈpɒs.ɪ.bl̩] UK
  • /ɪmˈpɒs.ə.bəl/ UK
  • [ɪmˈpɒs.ə.bl̩] UK
  • /ɪmˈpɑ.sə.bəl/ Canada, US
  • [ɪmˈpɑ.sə.bl̩] Canada, US
  • /ɪmˈpɔs.ɪ.bəl/ Australia
  • [ɪmˈpɔs.ɪ.bl̩] Australia

Where it comes from

From Middle English impossible, equivalent to im- + possible.

adjective more impossible · most impossible · inpossible

  1. not comparable, usually Not possible; not able to be done or happen. Antonio: What impossible matter will he make easy next? Sebastian: I think he will carry this island home in his pocket and give it his son for an apple. Antonio : And sowing the kernels of it in the sea bring forth more islands.
  2. colloquial, not comparable, usually Very difficult to deal with. You never listen to a word I say – you're impossible!
  3. dated, not comparable, usually imaginary impossible quantities, or imaginary numbers

Similar: unfeasible, nonpossible, unhappenable, unpossible · Opposite: possible, inevitable

noun impossibles · inpossible

  1. An impossibility. In fact, to most people, the real impossibles do not seem impossible, or wonderful, or even difficult at all.
  2. A skateboard trick consisting of a backflip performed in midair.

Thesaurus

Closest in meaning: unachievable, unattainable, unrealizable, impracticable, unimaginable, inconceivable, unthinkable, unfeasible, undoable, infeasible, unworkable, intolerable, unsufferable, insufferable, unacceptable, hopeless

adjective

Similar: unfeasible, nonpossible, unhappenable, unpossible · Opposite: possible, inevitable

Translations

Every language

adj not able to be done

Españolimposible, inasumible
한국어불가능하다 bulganeunghada
日本語不可能な fukanō na, 無理な muri na
中文不可能的 bù kěnéng de
हिन्दीअसंभव or असम्भव asambhav, नामुमकिन nāmumkin, अनहोनी anhonī
Portuguêsimpossível
Françaisimpossible
Deutschunmöglich
Italianoimpossibile
Ελληνικάακατόρθωτος akatórthotos
Românăimposibil
Русскийневозмо́жный nevozmóžnyj, невыполнимый nevypolnimyj, неосуществи́мый neosuščestvímyj
Tiếng Việtkhông thể, bất khả thi
العربيةمُسْتَحِيل mustaḥīl
עבריתבלתי־אפשרי biltí-efsharí

adj never happening

Españolimposible
日本語不可能な fukanō na, ありえない arienai
中文不會發生 /不会发生 Bù huì fāshēng
Portuguêsimpossível
Françaisimpossible
Deutschunmöglich
Italianoimpossibile
Русскийнесбыточный nesbytočnyj, недостижи́мый nedostižímyj

adj very difficult to deal with

Españolinsoportable
Portuguêsimpossível, insuportável
Françaisinsupportable, impossible
Deutschunmöglich
Italianoinsopportabile, impossibile
Ελληνικάαδύνατο adýnato, αφόρητο afórito, απειλητικό apeilitikó, ανίσχυρο aníschyro, ανέφικτο anéfikto
Русскийнереальный nerealʹnyj, невозмо́жный nevozmóžnyj, невыполнимый nevypolnimyj

noun an impossibility

Españolimposible
Italianoimpossibile
Ελληνικάακατόρθωτο akatórthoto, αδύνατο adýnato, αδιανόητο adianóito
العربيةمُسْتَحِيل mustaḥīl

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Cite this
MLA

"impossible." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/impossible. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

impossible. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/impossible

Chicago

"impossible." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/impossible.

BibTeX
@misc{impossible_2026,
  title = {impossible},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/impossible},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}