Standard Lemma guide

impossibly

adv · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: IH2 M P AA1 S AH0 B L IY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adv

Meaning 1

Not possibly; in an impossible manner.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adv

Meaning 2

To the point of impossibility.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • The topology problem was impossibly difficult.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adv

Meaning 3

Contrary to what had been thought possible.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • Impossibly, after the water receded, the cat was found asleep on a chair jammed in a tree.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

adverb

Meaning 4

to a degree impossible of achievement

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • long thought to be an impossibly difficult operation
  • impossibly far from sources of supply

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: possibly

History

Etymology

Etymology tree English impossible Middle English -ly English -ly English impossibly From impossible + -ly.

Across languages

Translations

52 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Catalan: impossiblement — in an impossible manner
  • Chinese Mandarin: 不可能地 — in an impossible manner
  • Dutch: onmogelijk — in an impossible manner
  • Esperanto: neeble — in an impossible manner
  • Finnish: mahdottomasti — in an impossible manner
  • French: impossiblement — in an impossible manner
  • Greek: ακατορθωτώς (akatorthotós) — in an impossible manner
  • Italian: impossibilmente — in an impossible manner
  • Polish: niemożliwie — in an impossible manner
  • Portuguese: impossivelmente — in an impossible manner
  • Russian: невозмо́жно (nevozmóžno) — in an impossible manner
  • Russian: невыполни́мо (nevypolnímo) — in an impossible manner
  • Russian: неосуществи́мо (neosuščestvímo) — in an impossible manner
  • Russian: нереа́льно (nereálʹno) — in an impossible manner
  • Serbo-Croatian: nȅmogūće — in an impossible manner
  • Spanish: imposiblemente — in an impossible manner
  • Swedish: omöjligen — in an impossible manner
  • Vietnamese: một cách không thể — in an impossible manner
  • Armenian: չափազանց (čʻapʻazancʻ) — to the point of impossibility
  • Armenian: սաստիկ (sastik) — to the point of impossibility
  • Armenian: անտանելի (antaneli) — to the point of impossibility
  • Catalan: impossiblement — to the point of impossibility
  • Chinese Mandarin: 难以置信地 — to the point of impossibility
  • Dutch: onmogelijk — to the point of impossibility
  • Finnish: mahdottoman — to the point of impossibility
  • French: impossiblement — to the point of impossibility
  • German: unmöglich — to the point of impossibility
  • Polish: niemożliwie — to the point of impossibility
  • Polish: niemożebnie — to the point of impossibility
  • Polish: niesamowicie — to the point of impossibility
  • Polish: niewiarygodnie — to the point of impossibility
  • Portuguese: impossivelmente — to the point of impossibility
  • Russian: невозмо́жно (nevozmóžno) — to the point of impossibility
  • Russian: невыполни́мо (nevypolnímo) — to the point of impossibility
  • Russian: непостижи́мо (nepostižímo) — to the point of impossibility
  • Russian: нереа́льно (nereálʹno) — to the point of impossibility
  • Spanish: imposiblemente — to the point of impossibility
  • Vietnamese: tới mức không thể — to the point of impossibility
  • Armenian: անհավանականորեն (anhavanakanoren) — contrary to what was thought possible
  • Dutch: ondenkbaar — contrary to what was thought possible
  • Dutch: ongelooflijk — contrary to what was thought possible
  • Finnish: kuin ihmeen kautta — contrary to what was thought possible
  • French: incroyablement — contrary to what was thought possible
  • German: unheimlich — contrary to what was thought possible
  • Polish: niemożliwie — contrary to what was thought possible
  • Portuguese: impossivelmente — contrary to what was thought possible
  • Russian: невероя́тно (neverojátno) — contrary to what was thought possible
  • Russian: немы́слимо (nemýslimo) — contrary to what was thought possible
  • Russian: непостижи́мо (nepostižímo) — contrary to what was thought possible
  • Russian: неосуществи́мо (neosuščestvímo) — contrary to what was thought possible
  • Spanish: imposiblemente — contrary to what was thought possible
  • Vietnamese: trái lại — contrary to what was thought possible