unimaginable
gb/ˌʌnɪmˈæd͡ʒɪnəbəl/ us/ˌʌnɪmˈæd͡ʒɪnəbəl/
C1
English
Senses
0 senses
adjective
C1
property
1
extremely great or severe
extremely big, bad, good, or surprising—more than you can imagine
Usage pattern:
unimaginable + [noun]
Common mistake:
Do not confuse with unimaginative (not creative) or unimaginable (the opposite of imaginable).
Synonyms
inconceivable (Often suggests something is hard to believe as well as hard to imagine.)
|
unthinkable (Often implies something is shocking or unacceptable to consider.)
|
mind-boggling (More informal and focuses on being astonishing.)
Antonyms
imaginable (Possible to picture or consider.)
|
conceivable (Possible to believe or accept as possible.)
Collocations
unimaginable pain
|unimaginable suffering
|unimaginable hardship
|unimaginable horror
|unimaginable destruction
|unimaginable loss
|unimaginable wealth
|unimaginable scale
|unimaginable pressure
|unimaginable opportunity
Themes
emotions
|intensifiers
|evaluation
Examples
- The earthquake caused unimaginable destruction across the region.
- She felt unimaginable relief when she heard everyone was safe.
- They lived in unimaginable luxury compared with the rest of the town.
Learner examples
- The heat was unimaginable.
- He went through unimaginable pain.
adjective
C1
property
2
impossible to picture mentally
not possible to imagine
Usage pattern:
unimaginable to [someone] | it is unimaginable that [clause]
Common mistake:
In this sense, it usually refers to a real limit of imagination, not just strong emphasis.
Synonyms
beyond imagining (A close synonym that is often used as a phrase.)
|
unfathomable (Emphasizes something cannot be fully understood.)
Antonyms
imaginable (Possible to picture or form an idea of.)
|
thinkable (Possible to consider as an idea.)
Collocations
unimaginable to most people
|almost unimaginable
|virtually unimaginable
|seem unimaginable
|become unimaginable
Themes
thinking
|communication
Examples
- Life without the internet is almost unimaginable to many teenagers.
- It was unimaginable that the small startup would become a global brand.
- The distances involved in space travel are still largely unimaginable to most of us.
Learner examples
- It is unimaginable that he lied.
- This kind of technology was unimaginable fifty years ago.
Grammar
Dictionary form
unimaginable
IPA
GB/ˌʌnɪmˈæd͡ʒɪnəbəl/
US/ˌʌnɪmˈæd͡ʒɪnəbəl/
Syllables & stress
un - ima - gin - able (4 syllables)
Stress on 3rd syllable (gin)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: unimaginable
Expressions
No expressions linked to this entry yet.