Meaning & use

inconceivable

adjective·Academic

Impossible to imagine, believe, or accept as true.

See it in a sentence

It seemed inconceivable that the tiny startup could beat a global corporation.

A world without electricity is inconceivable to most people today.

A note on using this word

The word became a pop-culture catchphrase in the film "The Princess Bride," where a character repeatedly misuses it for things that are merely surprising, not truly impossible.

Words with a similar meaning

unimaginableunthinkable

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

conceivableimaginable

Make it your own

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