impossible
Word family
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 5++LDOCE 5++im·pos·si·ble1 /ɪmˈpɒsəbəl $ ɪmˈpɑː-/ ●●● S2 W2 adjective 1 IMPOSSIBLEsomething that is impossible cannot happen or be done 不可能发生的；办不到的 OPP possible ‘I want to speak to Mr Franks.’ ‘I’m afraid that’s impossible.’ “我想和弗兰克斯先生谈谈。”“恐怕不行。” It’s impossible to be accurate about these things. 这些事情不可能准确无误。 The noise made sleep impossible. 噪音吵得人无法睡觉。 Members with young children often found it impossible to attend evening meetings. 有小孩的会员常觉得没法参加晚上的聚会。 It is difficult to find work these days, but for blind people it is virtually impossible. 现在找工作很难，对于盲人来说几乎是不可能。 He was faced with a seemingly impossible task. 他面临着似乎不可能完成的任务。 It was physically impossible to get the fridge through the door. 根本不可能把冰箱从这扇门搬过去。 Six months ago, peace seemed an impossible dream. 六个月前和平还似乎是个无法实现的梦。 Such mental attitudes are difficult, if not impossible, to change. 即使有可能，要改变这样的心态也是很难的。2 DIFFICULTPROBLEMa situation that is impossible is one that you cannot deal with 无法处理的，极难对付的 We were in an impossible situation. Whatever we decided to do would upset someone. 我们处于两难的境地。 无论我们决定做什么都会有人不开心。 Helen’s refusal to cooperate put me in an impossible position. 海伦拒绝合作，使我进退维谷。 His attitude is making life impossible for the rest of the team. 他的态度使队里其他人的日子很难过。 He was facing impossible odds. 他面临的情况极为不利。3 DIFFICULTbehaving in a very unreasonable and annoying way 〔行为〕不讲道理的，令人讨厌的 Oh, you’re just impossible! 噢，你真不讲道理！ —impossibly adverb Some sales managers think selling abroad is impossibly difficult. 有些销售经理认为做外销极其困难。 —impossibility /ɪmˌpɒsəˈbɪləti $ -ˌpɑː-/ noun [countable, uncountable] One hundred percent airline security is a practical impossibility. 百分之百的航空安全是几乎不可能的。n GrammarImpossible is not used with ‘very’. You say: It was an absolutely impossible task. ✗Don’t say: It was a very impossible task.n COLLOCATIONSverbsseem impossibleIt seemed impossible that he would ever recover from the injury.become impossibleAs it became darker, it became impossible for the players to see the ball.prove impossible (=be impossible because you have tried but not succeeded)It proved impossible for the two sides to reach an agreement.find something impossibleHe found it impossible to sleep because of the noise coming from next door.make something impossibleHeavy snow made travelling impossible.render something impossible formal (=make something impossible)The large number of prison guards rendered any escape impossible.adverbsabsolutely impossible (also utterly impossible formal)It is absolutely impossible to drive in these conditions.almost/nearly impossibleHe thought that winning would be almost impossible.virtually/practically impossible (=almost impossible)Getting tickets for the concert is practically impossible.well-nigh impossible formal (=almost impossible )Policing the entire coastline is well-nigh impossible.seemingly impossible (=seeming to be impossible)He managed to win the chess game from a seemingly impossible position.physically impossibleIt is physically impossible to survive for long in the desert without water.nounsan impossible job/taskHe faced the impossible task of paying back huge debts.an impossible feat (=something that is impossible to do)She achieved the seemingly impossible feat of breaking the world record.an impossible dream (=something you want, but will never happen)For a small club, winning the cup final will always be the impossible dream.impossible demandsShe was growing tired of the company’s impossible demands.phrasesit is impossible to do somethingIt is impossible to know if this story is true.difficult, if not impossible (=difficult, and perhaps impossible)Obtaining funding for the film will be difficult, if not impossible. THESAURUSimpossible something that is impossible cannot happen or be done 不可能发生的；办不到的It’s impossible to get a taxi around here. 这里是叫不到出租车的。At times, finding a job felt like an impossible task. 有时找份工作就像是不可能完成的任务。impractical something that is impractical is too expensive, takes too much time, is too difficult etc and therefore it is not sensible to try to do it 不切实际的，不现实的It’s a nice idea, but it’s totally impractical. 主意是不错，但是完全不切实际。We cannot all just stop using our cars - that would be completely impractical. 我们不可能全都不使用汽车，这完全不现实。nan impractical suggestionout of the question used when saying that something is completely impossible, especially because it is not allowed 完全不可能的〔尤因为不被允许〕It’s out of the question for you to go alone. 让你独自一人去是不可能的。there’s no way informal used when saying that you think something is completely impossible 不可能，办不到There’s no way we can get to the airport in less than an hour. 我们不可能在一小时内赶到机场。inconceivable impossible to imagine or believe 不可思议的，难以置信的It seemed inconceivable that there could be an end to the fighting in Northern Ireland. 北爱尔兰的战斗能够停火似乎让人难以置信。unthinkable impossible to imagine or believe – used especially about something that seems very shocking to people 难以置信的，难以想象的〔尤指令人震惊的事〕In those days it was unthinkable for a lady to work outside the home. 那时候女子走出家门去工作是无法想象的事情。unattainable impossible to achieve 不能达到的，无法实现的an unattainable goal 无法达到的目标Victory seemed unattainable. 胜利似乎无法实现。it can’t be done spoken used when saying very definitely that something is impossible 那是做不到的，那是不可能的I’m afraid it can’t be done. 我想那恐怕是不可能的。Examples from the Corpus
impossible• We're supposed to do all this work by tomorrow, but it's impossible.• You're impossible!• It was tough, tough work, but not impossible.• Many fear that peace is now impossible.• She's impossible! Even when I offer to help her she always find some reason to complain.• It is mathematically impossible for any Democratic rival to overhaul Clinton in the primary process.• Her back injury has made it impossible for her to play tennis anymore.• The street was narrow and it was impossible for the two buses to pass.• ""The police suspect John.'' ""But that's impossible. He was with us the whole day.''• Sometimes an abortion seems like the only way out of an impossible situation.• an impossible task• It's a seemingly impossible task.• It was impossible that anyone could have survived the crash.• Another non-solution is to sign a treaty and then forget about it in a few years or declare it impossible to achieve.• In the eighteenth century it seemed impossible to build a barn without creating a work of art.• It is possible to find safe harbor but nearly impossible to do so without a few blow-ups.• When people leave prison, they often find it impossible to get a job.• It was almost impossible to get some rest.• Dan's impossible to live with when he's sick.• It is impossible to take a complex problem and rationally unravel the mess into logical interacting pieces.• The twins are so alike that it's impossible to tell them apart.It’s impossible to• He'd call it doing research. It's impossible to discuss anything with him.• The weirdest car must be Nissan's Chappo city car. It's impossible to ignore-for all the wrong reasons.• You know the kind of energy you have to expend to be that? It's impossible to me.• I don't know. It's impossible to tell now.put ... in an impossible position• It would put them in an impossible position if a legally-binding Living Will demanded what they considered unethical or bad medical practice.impossible2 noun the impossible something that cannot be done 不可能的事attempt/do/ask etc the impossible I just want to be able to buy healthy food at a reasonable price. Is that asking the impossible? 我只是希望能以合理的价格买到健康食品。难道这是在要求不可能的事吗？Examples from the Corpus
impossible• Somehow without meaning to, she found that she had done the impossible for her: she had memorized that poem.im·pos·si·ble1 adjective →n GRAMMAR1 →n COLLOCATIONS1
→THESAURUS1impossible2 nounLDOCE OnlineChineseSyllable
→THESAURUS1impossible2 nounLDOCE OnlineChineseSyllable
is that or cannot impossible something Corpus happen
impossible
im‧pos‧si‧ble1 S2 W2 /ɪmˈpɒsəbəl, ɪmˈpɒsɪbəl $ ɪmˈpɑː-/ 
adjective
OPP possible:
‘I want to speak to Mr Franks.’ ‘I’m afraid that’s impossible.’
It’s impossible to be accurate about these things.
The noise made sleep impossible.
Members with young children often found it impossible to attend evening meetings.
It is difficult to find work these days, but for blind people it is virtually impossible.
He was faced with a seemingly impossible task.
It was physically impossible to get the fridge through the door.
Six months ago, peace seemed an impossible dream.
Such mental attitudes are difficult, if not impossible, to change.
2. a situation that is impossible is one that you cannot deal with:
We were in an impossible situation. Whatever we decided to do would upset someone.
Helen’s refusal to cooperate put me in an impossible position.
His attitude is making life impossible for the rest of the team.
He was facing impossible odds.
3. behaving in a very unreasonable and annoying way:
Oh, you’re just impossible!
—impossibly adverb:
Some sales managers think selling abroad is impossibly difficult.
—impossibility /ɪmˌpɒsəˈbɪləti, ɪmˌpɒsɪˈbɪləti $ -ˌpɑː-/ noun [uncountable and countable]:
One hundred percent airline security is a practical impossibility.
■ verbs
▪seem impossible It seemed impossible that he would ever recover from the injury.
▪become impossible As it became darker, it became impossible for the players to see the ball.
▪prove impossible (=be impossible because you have tried but not succeeded) It proved impossible for the two sides to reach an agreement.
▪find something impossible He found it impossible to sleep because of the noise coming from next door.
▪make something impossible Heavy snow made travelling impossible.
▪render something impossible formal (=make something impossible) The large number of prison guards rendered any escape impossible.
■ adverbs
▪absolutely impossible (also utterly impossible formal) It is absolutely impossible to drive in these conditions.
▪almost/nearly impossible He thought that winning would be almost impossible.
▪virtually/practically impossible (=almost impossible) Getting tickets for the concert is practically impossible.
▪well-nigh impossible formal (=almost impossible ) Policing the entire coastline is well-nigh impossible.
▪seemingly impossible (=seeming to be impossible) He managed to win the chess game from a seemingly impossible position.
▪physically impossible It is physically impossible to survive for long in the desert without water.
■ nouns
▪an impossible job/task He faced the impossible task of paying back huge debts.
▪an impossible feat (=something that is impossible to do) She achieved the seemingly impossible feat of breaking the world record.
▪an impossible dream (=something you want, but will never happen) For a small club, winning the cup final will always be the impossible dream.
▪impossible demands She was growing tired of the company’s impossible demands.
■ phrases
▪it is impossible to do something It is impossible to know if this story is true.
▪difficult, if not impossible (=difficult, and perhaps impossible) Obtaining funding for the film will be difficult, if not impossible.
▪ impossible something that is impossible cannot happen or be done: It’s impossible to get a taxi around here. | At times, finding a job felt like an impossible task.
▪impractical something that is impractical is too expensive, takes too much time, is too difficult etc and therefore it is not sensible to try to do it: It’s a nice idea, but it’s totally impractical. | We cannot all just stop using our cars - that would be completely impractical. | an impractical suggestion
▪out of the question used when saying that something is completely impossible, especially because it is not allowed: It’s out of the question for you to go alone.
▪there’s no way informal used when saying that you think something is completely impossible: There’s no way we can get to the airport in less than an hour.
▪inconceivable impossible to imagine or believe: It seemed inconceivable that there could be an end to the fighting in Northern Ireland.
▪unthinkable impossible to imagine or believe - used especially about something that seems very shocking to people: In those days it was unthinkable for a lady to work outside the home.
▪unattainable impossible to achieve: an unattainable goal | Victory seemed unattainable.
▪it can’t be done spoken used when saying very definitely that something is impossible: I’m afraid it can’t be done.
impossible2 noun
the impossible something that cannot be done
attempt/do/ask etc the impossible
I just want to be able to buy healthy food at a reasonable price. Is that asking the impossible?
| I |
adjective Word Family: noun: possibility ≠ impossibility, the impossible, possible; adverb: possibly ≠ impossibly; adjective: possible ≠ impossible
1. something that is impossible cannot happen or be done OPP possible:
2. a situation that is impossible is one that you cannot deal with:
3. behaving in a very unreasonable and annoying way:
—impossibly adverb:
—impossibility /ɪmˌpɒsəˈbɪləti, ɪmˌpɒsɪˈbɪləti $ -ˌpɑː-/ noun [uncountable and countable]:
| COLLOCATIONS |
▪
▪
▪
▪
▪
▪
■ adverbs
▪
▪
▪
▪
▪
▪
■ nouns
▪
▪
▪
▪
■ phrases
▪
▪
| THESAURUS |
▪
▪
▪
▪
▪
▪
▪
| II |
nounthe impossible something that cannot be done
attempt/do/ask etc the impossible