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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  • 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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