IMPOSSIBLE Synonyms: 70 Similar and Opposite Words

impossible

adjective

(ˌ)im-ˈpä-sə-bəl

Definition of impossible

as in unlikely

incapable of being solved or accomplished the seemingly impossible problem of world hunger fitting everything in my backpack seemed an impossible task

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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.

Recent Examples of impossible According to the American Cancer Society, catching cancer from another person is essentially impossible. — Dr. Yonathan Daniel, ABC News, 25 July 2026 Orange County has had more than 100 football players transferring to different schools this offseason, and policing the legality of the transfers seems almost impossible. — Chris Hays, The Orlando Sentinel, 25 July 2026 The film itself is about a Jewish woman who refuses the limits imposed on her mind and disguises herself as a man in order to study, and the parallel was impossible to miss. — Debbie Millman, Time, 25 July 2026 An openly gay man in Catholic Italy as well as an old-school romantic, Visconti was cinema’s great poet of impossible loves. — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 24 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for impossible

Recent Examples of Synonyms for impossible

Adjective

Getty Images At first sight, Hannia Zia and Joana Ferreira are unlikely founders of a start-up promising to shake up the American construction industry.

— David Prosser, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026
Many of the athletes represented are unlikely to earn significant NIL money—some might not earn any—by playing another season.

— Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 20 July 2026

Definition of unlikely

Adjective

Johnston made his breakout performance as the toxically hopeless romantic Bear in Curry Barker’s Obsession, which has become Focus Features’ highest grossing title ever, surpassing $300M globally last month.

— Glenn Garner, Deadline, 23 July 2026
As the years speed forward, a new round of violence will force these characters into a final confrontation with the challenge of building a hopeless future together.

— David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 22 July 2026

Definition of hopeless

Adjective

The affected vehicles, which were built between 2021 and 2026, feature a problematic wiring harness that increases the risk of engine fires.

— Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 24 July 2026
Particulars matter Haiti observers warn that considering the country’s vexing history with electoral fraud, violence, problematic votes and post-election crises, the particulars of its electoral machinery do matter.

— Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 24 July 2026

Definition of problematic

Adjective

For a long time, our leading hypothesis was bullying and violence, but that may be a bit impractical, given their kingdoms are vast networks of tunnels that can stretch for up to three kilometers.

— Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 21 July 2026
Statement architectural features, like large windows and spiral staircases, are impractical for daily living.

— The Spruce, The Spruce, 21 July 2026

Definition of impractical

Adjective

The group spent six futile months trying to prompt various artificial intelligence chatbots using Birman’s approach.

— Lyndie Chiou, Scientific American, 24 July 2026
Here, though, the entire enterprise is vile, and futile, and irredeemable, made worse by the self-delusion of the people who pursue it.

— Paul A. Thompson, Pitchfork, 21 July 2026

Definition of futile

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impossible

impossibly

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“Impossible.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impossible. Accessed 28 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of impossible

adjective

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