impossible

A2 Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ɪmˈpɑ.sə.bəl/ UK /ɪmˈpɒs.ɪ.bəl/ See IPA manual

Minimal pairs

Sounds like impassable /æ/ vs /ɑ/

Freq #996

Meanings

1

adj
Not able to be done or to happen.

It is impossible to be in two places at once.
2

adj
Extremely difficult to deal with or to please.

You never listen to anyone — you're impossible!
3

noun
Something that cannot be done.

They were asking for the impossible.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · not able to be done or to... inconceivable unimaginable

More nonpossibleunfeasibleunhappenableunpossible

Opposites

inevitable possible

Word family

Derived forms impossibility impossibleness impossiblyunimpossible

Appears in

Phrases (2)

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Proverbs (4)

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Etymology

From Middle English impossible, equivalent to im- + possible.

impossible Middle English

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities

External links

# impossible

**Type:** Word
**Level:** A2
**Part of speech:** adj, noun
**IPA (US):** /ɪmˈpɑ.sə.bəl/
**IPA (UK):** /ɪmˈpɒs.ɪ.bəl/
**Frequency rank:** 996

## Meanings
1. Not able to be done or to happen.
2. Extremely difficult to deal with or to please.
3. Something that cannot be done.

## Examples
- It is impossible to be in two places at once.
- You never listen to anyone — you're impossible!
- They were asking for the impossible.

## Synonyms
- nonpossible
- unfeasible
- unhappenable
- unpossible

## Antonyms
- inevitable
- possible

## Derived Forms
- impossibility
- impossibleness
- impossibly
- unimpossible

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: impossible
- Affix: im- - not

## Etymology
From Middle English impossible, equivalent to im- + possible.

## AI Etymology
Impossible comes from Middle English impossible, equivalent to im- + possible. The analysis is mainly morphological: the modern adjectival form is built from the named elements. In current use, the main senses are “Not able to be done or to happen” and “Extremely difficult to deal with or to please”.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities

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