the unthinkable

noun

: something that one cannot accept, believe, or imagine

especially : something that is so bad that one does not want to think about it

And then, the unthinkable happened: the car skidded out of control and crashed.

Examples of the unthinkable in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Abby is introduced as Lizzie’s cruel stepmother, whose constant critiques and belittling remarks push her to do the unthinkable. — Yamillah Hurtado, PEOPLE, 23 Sep. 2026

In the film, starring Jella Haase, Frida-Lovisa Hamann, Clemens Schick and Lukas Miko, mass panic ensues and the unthinkable happens. — Marta Balaga, Variety, 11 Sep. 2026

Now, Ortiz, 36, stands accused of attempting the unthinkable. — Alli Rosenbloom, CNN Money, 8 Sep. 2026

The book offers the bulk of its attention to these parts, using every literary device at its disposal, from interview fragments to the epistolary form, to put surviving the unthinkable into words. — Tembe Denton-Hurst, Vulture, 4 Sep. 2026

Rhymes for the unthinkable

• thinkable