Phrase guide

you can't make this stuff up

intj · phrase · 2 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

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No pronunciation record was provided for this word.

1

intj

Meaning 1

Used to express how ironically unbelievable or ridiculous a situation is.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

phrase

Meaning 2

The reality is so bizarre, ironic, or comically coincidental as to be unbelievable.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: often

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: fact is stranger than fiction, truth is stranger than fiction

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Used to describe a situation so outlandish or ridiculous that one could not have imagined it.

Across languages

Translations

4 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Finnish: en keksinyt tätä päästäni — Translations
  • French: ça ne s'invente pas — Translations
  • Russian: нарочно не придумаешь (naročno ne pridumaješʹ) — Translations
  • Spanish: la realidad supera a la ficción — Translations