unthinkable
Word family
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 5++LDOCE 5++un·think·a·ble /ʌnˈθɪŋkəbəl/ adjective 1 impossible to accept or imagine 不能接受的；难以置信的；难以想象的 It is unthinkable that a mistake like this could have happened. 竟然发生了这样的错误，真是令人难以置信。it would be unthinkable for somebody to do something It would be unthinkable for me to stay anywhere but with the family. 对我来说不和家人在一起是难以想象的。► see thesaurus at impossible2 the unthinkable something that is impossible to accept or imagine 难以想象[接受]的事情 Then the unthinkable happened and the boat started to sink. 接着，意想不到的事情发生了，船开始下沉。 It was the job of the committee to think the unthinkable (=plan for unexpected events or situations). 委员会的工作就是要想到意想不到的情况。Examples from the Corpus
unthinkable• The idea of a world without music is unthinkable.• In 1094 however such a future would have seemed unthinkable.• Older women in the developing countries suffered too, but medical care for them was unthinkable.• The very philosophy of the Hegelians is therefore not a challenge to society but a way of making such challenge unthinkable.• In those days it was unthinkable for a lady to work outside the home.• The amount of sex on television that we see today would have been unthinkable in previous decades.• It was unthinkable, of course, to take them this time, but it was a wrench leaving them behind with Polly.• It is unthinkable that anyone would dare to enter the Control Area without permission.• But it is virtually unthinkable that it could end in an acquittal, still less a mistrial.it would be unthinkable for somebody to do something• Now it would be unthinkable for me to stay anywhere but with the family.un·think·a·ble adjectiveChineseSyllable
or imagine accept to impossible Corpus
unthinkable
un‧think‧a‧ble /ʌnˈθɪŋkəbəl/
adjective
It is unthinkable that a mistake like this could have happened.
it would be unthinkable for somebody to do something
It would be unthinkable for me to stay anywhere but with the family.
2. the unthinkable something that is impossible to accept or imagine:
Then the unthinkable happened and the boat started to sink.
It was the job of the committee to think the unthinkable (=plan for unexpected events or situations).
▪ 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.
un‧think‧a‧ble /ʌnˈθɪŋkəbəl/
adjective Word Family: noun: think, rethink, thinker, thinking, the unthinkable; verb: think, rethink; adjective: thinkable ≠ unthinkable, thinking ≠ unthinking; adverb: unthinkingly
1. impossible to accept or imagine: it would be unthinkable for somebody to do something
2. the unthinkable something that is impossible to accept or imagine:
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