inconceivable

adjective

in·​con·​ceiv·​able ˌin-kən-ˈsē-və-bəl 

: not conceivable: such as

a

: unbelievable

It's inconceivable they survived the crash.

b

: impossible to comprehend

… a work of inconceivable difficulty and labour …

—Mary W. Shelley

inconceivability

ˌin-kən-ˌsē-və-ˈbi-lə-tē 

noun

inconceivableness

ˌin-kən-ˈsē-və-bəl-nəs 

noun

inconceivably

ˌin-kən-ˈsē-və-blē 

adverb

Synonyms of inconceivable

• incredible
• incredulous
• unlikely
• impossible
• unthinkable
• unimaginable
• unbelievable

Examples of inconceivable in a Sentence

The fire caused an inconceivable amount of damage.

After coming this far, to quit now would be inconceivable.

Recent Examples on the Web

As much as his ability to land the inconceivable, Malinin’s great strength has always been the imagination and courage to take his skating to places few even considered, let alone dared to reach for. —Scott M. Reid, Oc Register, 6 Jan. 2026

In this context, misbehavior was almost inconceivable for the García children. —Jordan Salama, New Yorker, 30 Dec. 2025

Most movie stars of the time lived above the boulevard in the Hollywood Hills, and the first Academy Awards ceremony took place at the Hollywood Roosevelt hotel (a venue that seems inconceivable today). —Oren Peleg, HollywoodReporter, 9 Nov. 2025

If the sheer distance Albert travels is inconceivable to those of us with more earthbound callings, his on-air stats are equally mind-boggling. —Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 30 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1624, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for inconceivable

• achievable
• believable
• conceivable
• perceivable
• receivable
• retrievable
• irretrievable
• unbelievable

Kids Definition

inconceivable

adjective

in·​con·​ceiv·​able ˌin-kən-ˈsē-və-bəl 

: impossible to imagine or believe

inconceivably

-blē 

adverb