impossible

impossible
adj.
1 not possible
VERBS
▪ appear, be, look, prove, seem, sound
▪ become
▪ remain
▪ make sth, render sth
▪

Darkness made it impossible to continue.

▪ believe sth, consider sth, deem sth, find sth, regard sth as, see sth as, think sth
▪

I found his offer impossible to resist.

ADVERB
▪ absolutely, completely, downright, quite (esp. BrE), totally, utterly
▪ humanly
▪

They are setting a standard that it is humanly impossible to meet.

▪ just, simply
▪

I'm really sorry. It's just impossible.

▪ by no means (esp. BrE), far from
▪

a desirable and far from impossible objective to achieve

▪ almost, more or less (esp. BrE), near, nearly, next to, nigh, nigh on (esp. BrE), practically, virtually, well-nigh (esp. BrE)
▪

It was well-nigh impossible for him to convince her that he was right.

▪ pretty
▪ effectively
▪ literally
▪ apparently (esp. BrE), seemingly
▪ theoretically
▪ clearly, obviously
▪ equally
▪

Both options are equally impossible.

▪ hitherto, previously
▪

With the new equipment we will be able to accomplish hitherto impossible tasks.

▪ ultimately
▪ economically, financially, logically, logistically, mathematically, physically, politically, scientifically, technically
▪

The high cost of childcare made returning to work economically impossible.

PREPOSITION
▪ for
▪

The situation is just impossible for us.

▪

It's impossible for me to say.

2 bad-tempered; difficult to talk to/deal with
VERBS
▪ be
▪ become
▪ find sb
▪

I find her impossible.

ADVERB
▪ really
▪ absolutely, completely, quite, totally
▪

You can be absolutely impossible at times!

▪ just
Impossible is used with these nouns: ↑demand, ↑dilemma, ↑dream, ↑feat, ↑obstacle, ↑odds, ↑position, ↑target, ↑task

Collocations dictionary. 2013.

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Synonyms:

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  • impossible — [ ɛ̃pɔsibl ] adj. et n. m. • 1227; lat. impossibilis ♦ Qui ne peut être, exister; qui n est pas possible. I ♦ Adj. 1 ♦ Qui ne peut se produire, être atteint ou réalisé. Cette éventualité lui paraît impossible. ⇒ inenvisageable. Solution… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • impossible — Impossible. adj. de tout genre. Qui ne peut estre, qui ne se peut faire. Le mouvement perpetuel est impossible. la quadrature du cercle est regardée comme impossible. il n y a rien d impossible à Dieu. cela est moralement impossible. Il se dit… …   Dictionnaire de l'Académie française

  • impossible — Impossible, Impossibilis. Il est impossible d avantage, Nihil supra. Il est impossible de faire aujourd huy tellement l ouvrage, que tousjours il n y ait à refaire, Numquam hoc vno die efficiatur opus, quin opus semper fiet. Il est impossible que …   Thresor de la langue françoyse

  • Impossible — Im*pos si*ble, a. [F., fr. L. impossibilis; pref. im not + possibilis possible. See {Possible}.] Not possible; incapable of being done, of existing, etc.; unattainable in the nature of things, or by means at command; insuperably difficult under… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Impossible — Im*pos si*ble, n. An impossibility; as, he tried to do the impossible. [Obs.] [1913 Webster] Madam, quoth he, this were an impossible! Chaucer. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • impossible — im·pos·si·ble adj: not possible: incapable of being done, attained, or fulfilled a party s performance is impossible in part Merriam Webster’s Dictionary of Law. Merriam Webster. 1996. impossible …   Law dictionary

  • impossible — [im päs′ə bəl] adj. [OFr < L impossibilis: see IN 2 & POSSIBLE] 1. not capable of being, being done, or happening 2. not capable of being done easily or conveniently 3. not capable of being endured, used, agreed to, etc. because disagreeable… …   English World dictionary

  • impossible — (adj.) late 14c., from O.Fr. impossible, from L. impossibilis not possible, from assimilated form of in not, opposite of (see IN (Cf. in ) (1)) + possibilis (see POSSIBLE (Cf. possible)). Related: Impossibly …   Etymology dictionary

  • impossible — [adj1] beyond the bounds of possibility absurd, beyond, contrary to reason, cureless, futile, hardly possible, hopeless, hundred to one*, impassable, impervious, impracticable, impractical, inaccessible, inconceivable, inexecutable, infeasible,… …   New thesaurus

  • impossible — ► ADJECTIVE 1) not able to occur, exist, or be done. 2) very difficult to deal with: an impossible situation. DERIVATIVES impossibility noun (pl. impossibilities) impossibly adverb …   English terms dictionary

  • impossible — (in po si bl ) adj. 1°   Qui ne peut être, qui ne peut se faire. •   Tout ce qui n est pas aisé, ils [les lâches conseillers] le nomment impossible, BALZAC De la cour, 5e disc.. •   À qui sait bien aimer il n est rien d impossible, CORN. Médée, V …   Dictionnaire de la Langue Française d'Émile Littré

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