impossible en · ADJ
Pronunciation
- /ɪmˈpɔs.ɪ.bəl/ (Australia)
- /ɪmˈpɒs.ə.bəl/ (UK)
- [ɪmˈpɔs.ɪ.bl̩] (Australia)
- (US) audio
- [ɪmˈpɑ.sə.bl̩] (Canada, US)
- [ɪmˈpɒs.ə.bl̩] (UK)
- /ɪmˈpɒs.ɪ.bəl/ (UK)
- [ɪmˈpɒs.ɪ.bl̩] (UK)
- /ɪmˈpɑ.sə.bəl/ (Canada, US)
Etymology
From Middle English impossible, equivalent to im- + possible.
Meanings
-
(not-comparable, usually) Not possible; not able to be done or happen.
13 March 1962, John F. Kennedy, speech at the White House Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.
Seeing the British establishment struggle with the financial sector is like watching an alcoholic […]. Until 2008 there was denial over what finance had become. When a series of bank failures made this impossible, there was widespread anger, leading to the public humiliation of symbolic figures.
2013 June 28, Joris Luyendijk, “Our banks are out of control”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 3, page 21:Sarah thinks that nothing is impossible because things can always somehow happen.
It is difficult, if not impossible, to memorize 20,000 consecutive numbers.
ALICE: I'm looking for a White Rabbit.... So if you don't mind. (Alice looks through the key hole) There he is - I simply must get through DOORKNOB: Sorry, you're much too big. Simply impassable. ALICE: You mean impossible. DOORKNOB: No, IMPASSABLE - NOTHING'S IMPOSSIBLE.
1951, Alice in Wonderland, Walt Disney Productions; quoted in Jabberwocky, volumes 1–2, The Lewis Carroll Society, 1969, page 9: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.
1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tempest”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene i]:It was impoſſible that the queen of France [Marie Antoinette] ſhould not be deeply affected by a conteſt, which ſo cloſely involved her neareſt and deareſt connections, and threatened ſo immediate and perhaps irreparable a breach of the harmony and friendſhip ſubſiſting between them.
1787, “The History of Europe”, in The Annual Register, or A View of the History, Politics, and Literature, for the Years 1784 and 1785, volume XXVII, London: Printed by J[ames] Dodsley, in Pall-Mall, →OCLC, chapter VIII, page 134, column 1:
-
(colloquial, not-comparable, usually) Very difficult to deal with.
You never listen to a word I say – you're impossible!
I never met a more impossible girl.
2006, Amanda Palmer, “Delilah”, in Yes, Virginia..., performed by The Dresden Dolls:This humidity is impossible.
-
(dated, not-comparable, usually) imaginary
impossible quantities, or imaginary numbers
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| more impossible | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic | |
| inpossible | alternative, obsolete | lexicographic | |
| most impossible | Degree=Sup | lexicographic |
Antonyms
possible (antonym(s) of “not able to be done or happen”) · inevitable (antonym(s) of “not able to be done or happen”)
Deriveds
impossibleness · impossible bottle · impossible fork · impossible dream · impossible pie · impossible trident · mission impossible · impossible dip · impossible color · impossible story · impossibly · impossibility · impossible trinity · ask the impossible · impossible drive · impossible event · do the impossible · unimpossible
Synonyms
unfeasible · nonpossible · unpossible · unhappenable
Translations (148)
ja 不可能な (not able to be done) · bg неизпълним (very difficult to deal with) · sv ogörlig (not able to be done) · az həyata keçirilməz (not able to be done) · pl niemożliwy (not able to be done) · lt neįmanoma (not able to be done) · da umulig (not able to be done) · ca impossible (not able to be done) · ro imposibil (not able to be done) · mr अशक्य (not able to be done) · ja 無理な (not able to be done) · ru несбыточный (never happening) · be немагчы́мы (not able to be done) · hu nehéz (very difficult to deal with) · pdt ommäajlich (not able to be done) · el αδύνατο (very difficult to deal with) · hi असंभव or असम्भव (not able to be done) · pam kasakit (very difficult to deal with) · fr impossible (never happening) · uk неможли́вий (not able to be done) · ia insupportabile (very difficult to deal with) · ur اسمبھو (not able to be done) · ca impossible (very difficult to deal with) · gl imposible (not able to be done) · az yerinə yetirilməz (not able to be done) · pam emayari (not able to be done) · fi kauhea (very difficult to deal with) · hu lehetetlen (very difficult to deal with) · ru невозмо́жный (very difficult to deal with) · lv neiespējams (not able to be done) · vi bất khả thi (not able to be done) · pl niemożliwy (never happening) · no umulig (not able to be done) · ia impossibile (not able to be done) · pam emalyari (not able to be done) · ru нереальный (very difficult to deal with) · sh nȅmogūć (very difficult to deal with) · et võimatu (not able to be done) · el ανίσχυρο (very difficult to deal with) · hu lehetetlen (not able to be done) · cs nemožný (not able to be done) · el ακατόρθωτος (not able to be done) · sv omöjlig (very difficult to deal with) · pt impossível (never happening) · az qeyri-mümkün (very difficult to deal with) · km មិនអាចទៅរួច (not able to be done) · ast insoportable (very difficult to deal with) · sv orealiserbar (not able to be done) · es imposible (not able to be done) · gd do-dhèanta (not able to be done) · sv omöjlig (not able to be done) · ru недостижи́мый (never happening) · fy ûnmooglik (not able to be done) · ast imposible (not able to be done) · fi mahdoton (very difficult to deal with) · pam malaut (never happening) · ja 不可能な (never happening) · mi tē-taea (not able to be done) · tr imkânsız (not able to be done) · is ómögulegur (not able to be done) · ang unmihtlīċ (not able to be done) · sl nemogoče (very difficult to deal with) · ru невыполнимый (very difficult to deal with) · sh nȅmogūć (not able to be done) · sh nepodnòšljiv (very difficult to deal with) · grc ἀδύνατος (not able to be done) · ne असम्भव (not able to be done) · lv neiespējama (not able to be done) · fa غیرممکن (not able to be done) · sl nemogoč (very difficult to deal with) · ast imposible (very difficult to deal with) · it insopportabile (very difficult to deal with) · pam marayu (never happening) · ja ありえない (never happening) · sh немогућ (not able to be done) · es inasumible (not able to be done) · bg невъзмо́жен (not able to be done) · ca insuportable (very difficult to deal with) · eo neebla (not able to be done) · pt impossível (not able to be done) · tr olanaksız (not able to be done) · sl nemogoč (not able to be done) · ur ناممکن (not able to be done) · ka შეუძლებელი (not able to be done) · fi mahdoton (not able to be done) · el απειλητικό (very difficult to deal with) · es insoportable (very difficult to deal with) · ru неосуществи́мый (not able to be done) · id mustahil (not able to be done) · vi không thể (not able to be done) · ru невозмо́жный (not able to be done) · ky мүмкүнсүз (not able to be done) · fr impossible (very difficult to deal with) · de unmöglich (never happening) · de unmöglich (not able to be done) · gl imposíbel (not able to be done) · az qeyri-mümkün (never happening) · it impossibile (never happening) · da umulig (very difficult to deal with) · el αφόρητο (very difficult to deal with) · de unmöglich (very difficult to deal with) · he בלתי־אפשרי (not able to be done) · arz محال (not able to be done) · pt insuportável (very difficult to deal with) · hi अनहोनी (not able to be done) · ar مُسْتَحِيل (not able to be done) · az qeyri-mümkün (not able to be done) · th เป็นไปไม่ได้ (not able to be done) · bg невероятен (never happening) · sl nemogoča (very difficult to deal with) · ur ان ہونی (not able to be done) · nrf împôssibl'ye (not able to be done) · cy amhosibl (not able to be done) · se veadjemeahttun (not able to be done) · cmn 不可能的 (not able to be done) · ru невыполнимый (not able to be done) · be немажлі́вы (not able to be done) · ml അസാധ്യ (not able to be done) · hi नामुमकिन (not able to be done) · sk nemožný (not able to be done) · pt impossível (very difficult to deal with) · ko 불가능하다 (not able to be done) · da umuligt (never happening) · pam masakit (very difficult to deal with) · rm nunpussaivel (not able to be done) · hy անհնար (not able to be done) · tl di-sapala (not able to be done) · az mümkünsüz (not able to be done) · yue 冇可能嘅 (not able to be done) · mk невозможен (not able to be done) · sl nemogoča (not able to be done) · fr insupportable (very difficult to deal with) · sh neizdr̀živ (very difficult to deal with) · bg неосъществим (very difficult to deal with) · es imposible (never happening) · el ανέφικτο (very difficult to deal with) · cs nemožný (very difficult to deal with) · it impossibile (not able to be done) · rif muḥar (not able to be done) · fr impossible (not able to be done) · sl nemogoče (not able to be done) · it impossibile (very difficult to deal with) · ms mustahil (not able to be done) · gv neuchredjallagh (not able to be done) · cmn 不會發生 /不会发生 (never happening) · fi kamala (very difficult to deal with) · nl onmogelijk (not able to be done) · io neposibla (not able to be done)