adj
unthinkable
uhn-THIHNG-kuh-buhl
adj
1
So extreme or unlikely that it seems impossible to imagine happening.
"A second global pandemic seemed unthinkable just a decade earlier."
"It was unthinkable that she would ever quit the family business."
2
Completely unacceptable according to normal standards of behaviour.
"Speaking to elders that way would have been unthinkable in his household."
How to Use Unthinkable
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishSo extreme, shocking, or unlikely you can barely picture it happening.
Common pairings
unthinkable tragedy
once unthinkable
unthinkable consequences
Word Forms
more unthinkable comparative, unthinkables plural, most unthinkable superlative
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Can you complete this real example?
A second global pandemic seemed _____ just a decade earlier.