INDEX:
1. when something cannot be done
2. when something cannot happen, exist, or be true
3. impossible to get
4. to make something impossible
RELATED WORDS
opposite
↑ POSSIBLE
see also
↑ CAN/CAN'T
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1. when something cannot be done
▷ impossible /ɪmˈpɒsɪb ə l, ɪmˈpɒsəb ə lǁɪmˈpɑː-/ [adjective]
something that is impossible cannot be done :
▪ We’re supposed to do all this work by tomorrow, but it’s impossible.
▪ It’s a seemingly impossible task.
it is impossible (for somebody/something) to do something
▪ The twins are so alike that it’s impossible to tell them apart.
▪ The street was narrow and it was impossible for the two buses to pass.
make it impossible
▪ Her back injury has made it impossible for her to play tennis anymore.
find it impossible
discover that you cannot do something
▪ When people leave prison, they often find it impossible to get a job.
▷ not possible /nɒt ˈpɒsə̇b ə lǁ-ˈpɑː-/ [adjective]
impossible or extremely difficult to do :
▪ We can’t buy a new computer for every student - it’s just not possible.
it is not possible (for somebody/something) to do something
▪ It is not possible, in a book of this size, to cover every aspect of the subject.
▪ She’s in a meeting, so I’m afraid it’s not possible for you to see her now.
▷ there’s no way /ðeəʳz ˌnəʊ ˈweɪ/ especially spoken
say this when you strongly believe that something is impossible :
there’s no way (that)
▪ There’s no way we can get to the airport in less than an hour.
there’s no way of knowing something
▪ There’s no way of knowing when the volcano will erupt again.
▷ impractical /ɪmˈpræktɪk ə l/ [adjective]
an idea, suggestion, or action that is impractical is not really possible because it would cost far too much money, waste too much time, be much too difficult etc :
▪ Officials stated that building a dam for irrigation purposes was hopelessly impractical.
▪ Telling people to avoid any exposure to the sun is impractical advice.
it is impractical to do something
▪ It would be impractical to attempt to review all the types of multimedia technology in this study.
▷ out of the question /ˌaʊt əv ðə ˈkwestʃ ə n/ [adjective phrase]
if an idea or suggestion is out of the question, it is completely impossible or it cannot be allowed :
▪ I’d love to come with you, but with all the work I have to do it’s out of the question.
▪ The cost would be over $5000, which is quite out of the question.
it’s out of the question for somebody (to do something)
▪ I’m afraid it’s out of the question for you to go alone.
▷ can’t possibly /ˌkɑːnt ˈpɒsə̇bliǁˌkænt ˈpɑː-/ especially spoken
use this in order to emphasize that you think something is impossible :
▪ You know we can’t possibly pay as much as that in rent.
▪ That was delicious but I couldn’t possibly eat another thing!
▷ hopeless /ˈhəʊpləs/ [adjective]
if something that you try to do is hopeless, there is no possibility of it being successful :
▪ Police now face the hopeless task of trying to find the bombers.
it is hopeless
▪ ‘Please let me go to the party’ Ali begged her mother, but she knew it was hopeless.
it is hopeless to do something
▪ It’s hopeless to try to persuade him while he’s in this mood. Let’s talk to him tomorrow.
a hopeless cause
something that cannot possibly succeed
▪ ‘I do not believe that working to block the movement of cocaine into the US is a hopeless cause,’ McCaffrey told the panel.
▷ not stand a chance/not have a hope /nɒt ˌstænd ə ˈtʃɑːnsǁ-ˈtʃæns, nɒt ˌhæv ə ˈhəʊp/ [verb phrase not in progressive] informal
to not have any chance of doing what you want, for example because it is much too difficult, someone else will do it first etc :
▪ Everyone in the town votes Republican. The Democrats don’t stand a chance.
▪ There’s no point in me applying for the job. I wouldn’t have a hope.
not stand a chance of doing something
▪ ‘The driver of the train didn’t stand a chance of stopping in time,’ a Railtrack spokesman said.
not have a hope/have no hope of doing something
▪ The bank said that it will no longer lend to enterprises that have no hope of making a profit.
▷ impossibility /ɪmˌpɒsɪˈbɪləti, ɪmˌpɒsəˈbɪlətiǁɪmˌpɑː-/ [singular noun]
something that is impossible to do :
▪ At first they thought that building a bridge across to the island was an impossibility.
▪ The equal division of all roles is a practical impossibility for many parents.
▪ I was suddenly struck by the impossibility of achieving our aims.
2. when something cannot happen, exist, or be true
▷ impossible /ɪmˈpɒsɪb ə l, ɪmˈpɒsəb ə lǁɪmˈpɑː-/ [adjective]
use this to say that you are sure that something cannot happen, exist, or be true :
▪ ‘Did you know that I can hold my breath for three minutes?’ ‘Impossible!’
▪ ‘The police suspect John.’ ‘But that’s impossible. He was with us the whole day.’
it is impossible (that)
▪ It was impossible that anyone could have survived the crash.
▷ be not possible /biː nɒt ˈpɒsə̇b ə lǁ-ˈpɑː-/ [verb phrase]
impossible use this especially when you are very surprised about something :
▪ ‘Abigail won’t give us the money,’ said Jim. ‘But that’s not possible,’ replied Ben, ‘she told me only this morning that she would.’
it is not possible that
▪ It’s not possible that Kate was at the party too. I would have seen her.
▷ can’t/couldn’t /kɑːntǁkænt, ˈkʊdnt/ [modal verb]
use this to say that it is not possible for something to have happened or for someone to have done something :
▪ They can’t have gone out because all the windows are open.
▪ What you’re saying can’t possibly be true. I don’t believe it.
▪ New evidence proved that the accused couldn’t have been at the scene of the crime.
▷ there’s no way /ðeəʳz ˌnəʊ ˈweɪ/ spoken
say this when you strongly believe that something is impossible :
there’s no way (that)
▪ There’s no way we can possibly get the bed up those stairs.
▪ If the computer system is working properly, there’s no way that it could make a mistake.
▷ inconceivable /ˌɪnkənˈsiːvəb ə l/ [adjective]
impossible or very difficult to imagine :
▪ When I was a boy, having a bath every day was an inconceivable luxury.
▪ The slaughter thousands of innocent US citizens would have been inconceivable until recently.
it is inconceivable that
▪ Many people thought it was inconceivable that the crash could have been an accident.
▷ unthinkable /ʌnˈθɪŋkəb ə l/ [adjective]
if something is unthinkable, it seems impossible because it is so shocking, nasty, difficult etc :
▪ The amount of sex on television that we see today would have been unthinkable in previous decades.
it is unthinkable that
▪ It is unthinkable that anyone would dare to enter the Control Area without permission.
unthinkable for somebody to do something
▪ In those days it was unthinkable for a lady to work outside the home.
▷ by any/by no stretch of the imagination /baɪ ˌeni, baɪ ˌnəʊ ˌstretʃ əv ði ɪmædʒə̇ˈneɪʃ ə n/ [adverb]
if something is not possible by any or by no stretch of the imagination, you cannot even imagine it being possible :
▪ The new software program is not perfect, by any stretch of the imagination.
▪ By no stretch of the imagination could Carl ever be called good-looking.
3. impossible to get
▷ unattainable /ˌʌnəˈteɪnəb ə l/ [adjective]
impossible to achieve :
▪ Television can create deep dissatisfaction by portraying lifestyles that are unattainable.
▪ The new exams have been designed for weaker students who, until now, have been set unattainable targets.
▪ For many young people in rural areas, a university education seems like an unattainable dream.
▷ out of reach /ˌaʊt əv ˈriːtʃ/ [adjective phrase]
impossible to get or achieve - use this about your aims and things you want very much :
▪ A cure for the HIV virus may not be out of reach for much longer.
▪ Peace in the region remained the goal, but a permanent solution still seemed out of reach.
4. to make something impossible
▷ rule out /ˌruːl ˈaʊt/ [transitive phrasal verb]
to make something impossible, especially something that you had already planned or decided to do :
▪ Mark’s serious physical condition ruled out our trip to Hungary that year.
▪ Severe weather conditions ruled out any rescue operation until the following day.
▷ preclude /prɪˈkluːd/ [transitive verb] formal
to make it impossible for someone to do something :
▪ Lack of evidence may preclude a trial.
preclude somebody from doing something
▪ These regulations may preclude newspapers from publishing details of politicians’ private lives.