impossible

adjective

im·​pos·​si·​ble (ˌ)im-ˈpä-sə-bəl How to pronounce impossible (audio)
1
a
: incapable of being or of occurring
b
: felt to be incapable of being done, attained, or fulfilled : insuperably difficult
an impossible deadline
2
a
: extremely undesirable : unacceptable
b
: extremely awkward or difficult to deal with
the actor was impossible on the set
impossibleness noun

Examples of impossible in a Sentence

It's impossible to predict the future. The heavy rain made it impossible to see the road. It's physically impossible for a child to lift that much at once. It's virtually impossible to book a flight just before the holiday. These math problems are impossible! You refuse to help and then criticize me for not doing it right? You're impossible! My boss is just an impossible woman.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Travel conditions in some areas were expected to be difficult if not impossible. Bruce Finley, The Denver Post, 7 Nov. 2024 Some worry that this will put an impossible burden on public welfare and health care systems and on younger generations who will have to care for a huge population of older people. Vegard Skirbekk, Foreign Affairs, 6 Nov. 2024 Republicans, with their congenitally overconfident candidate and an entire political operation premised on telling the Republican electorate that Trump’s defeat is literally impossible, have a different problem. Susan B. Glasser, The New Yorker, 5 Nov. 2024 Bungie recently acknowledged the existence of arguably the worst bug in Destiny 2’s entire history, the revelation that for years now, loot drops have been bugged to make certain perk combinations close to impossible to get, when all combinations were supposedly supposed to be weighted equally. Paul Tassi, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for impossible 

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French, from Latin impossibilis, from in- + possibilis possible

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of impossible was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near impossible

Cite this Entry

“Impossible.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/impossible. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

impossible

adjective
im·​pos·​si·​ble (ˈ)im-ˈpäs-ə-bəl How to pronounce impossible (audio)
1
a
: incapable of being or of occurring
b
: very difficult : hopeless
an impossible situation
2
: very bad or unpleasant
an impossible person
impossibly
-blē
adverb

Legal Definition

impossible

adjective
im·​pos·​si·​ble
: not possible : incapable of being done, attained, or fulfilled
a party's performance is impossible in part

More from Merriam-Webster on impossible

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