inconceivable

1 of 2

adjective

in·​con·​ceiv·​able ˌin-kən-ˈsē-və-bəl How to pronounce inconceivable (audio)
Synonyms of inconceivable
: not conceivable: such as
a
: unbelievable
It's inconceivable they survived the crash.
b
: impossible to comprehend
… a work of inconceivable difficulty and labour …—Mary W. Shelley
inconceivability
ˌin-kən-ˌsē-və-ˈbi-lə-tē How to pronounce inconceivable (audio)
noun
inconceivableness
ˌin-kən-ˈsē-və-bəl-nəs How to pronounce inconceivable (audio)
noun
inconceivably
ˌin-kən-ˈsē-və-blē How to pronounce inconceivable (audio)
adverb

inconceivability

2 of 2

noun

in·​conceivability ¦in+ How to pronounce inconceivability (audio)
1
: the quality or state of being inconceivable
2
: something inconceivable

Synonyms of inconceivable

Relevance

Adjective

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of inconceivable in a Sentence

Adjective The fire caused an inconceivable amount of damage. After coming this far, to quit now would be inconceivable.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
But that now seems inconceivable because three Democrats dropped out. — George Skelton, Mercury News, 1 June 2026 But that now seems inconceivable because three Democrats dropped out. — Los Angeles Times, 25 May 2026 This level of dominance is inconceivable. — Adam Crafton, New York Times, 16 June 2026 The camera quality on Artemis, let alone the ability to livestream the views, was inconceivable during the Apollo era. — Rebecca Boyle, The Atlantic, 10 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for inconceivable

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1624, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of inconceivable was in 1624

Rhymes for inconceivable

See All Rhymes for inconceivable

Browse Nearby Words

inconceivability
inconceivable
in concert
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Inconceivable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inconceivable. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

inconceivable

adjective
in·​con·​ceiv·​able ˌin-kən-ˈsē-və-bəl How to pronounce inconceivable (audio)
: impossible to imagine or believe
inconceivably
-blē How to pronounce inconceivable (audio)
adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on inconceivable

Nglish: Translation of inconceivable for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All