French Conversation · Level 15
90 words
French word
inimaginable
Pronunciation
IPA/inimaʒinabl/
Meaning
- adjectiveunimaginable
Example
C'est inimaginable.
It's unimaginable.
More examples
La situation est inimaginable.
The situation is unimaginable.
Core concept
A scene so far beyond ordinary experience that the mind cannot form a clear picture of it.
Common phrases
une situation inimaginable
an unimaginable situation
absolument inimaginable
absolutely unimaginable
tout à fait inimaginable
completely unimaginable
Similar words
incroyable: So astonishing or unlikely that it is difficult to believe.
impensable: So impossible to imagine or conceive that it defies thought.
inouï: So rare and astonishing that it has never been known before.
Definition in French
Qui ne peut être conçu par l'esprit parce qu'il dépasse l'imagination ordinaire.
Word origin
The word combines the negative prefix in- with imaginer, from Latin imaginari, and the suffix -able to mean impossible to imagine.
Usage tips
- Inimaginable stresses the limits of imagination, whereas incroyable more broadly means unbelievable or extraordinary.
Other meanings
- unbelievableadjective
- unthinkableadjective
Opposites
- imaginableimaginableadjective
- concevableconceivableadjective
Related words
- imaginerimagineverb
- imaginationimaginationnoun
- imaginatifimaginativeadjective