inconceivably
inconceivably — 副詞
1. To such a strong degree that the human mind cannot form a clear picture of it or
難以想像地
極端到無法想像
To such a strong degree that the human mind cannot form a clear picture of it or accept it as real — used when something goes far beyond what one can normally imagine.
The palace was inconceivably grand, with more than five hundred rooms and a private theatre.
這座宮殿大到難以想像，有超過五百個房間和一間私人劇院。
inconceivably + adjective (grand) for degree of size
Constanza found the pain after her surgery inconceivably intense, despite the strongest medicine.
Constanza 發現手術後的疼痛難以想像地劇烈，連最強的藥物也無法緩解。
find + object + inconceivably + adjective
The universe is so vast that its total size is inconceivably large for the human mind.
宇宙浩瀚無垠，其整體大小對人類心智而言大到難以想像。
Life for the first explorers must have changed inconceivably once they reached a new continent.
對早期探險家來說，踏上新大陸後的生活必定發生了難以想像的改變。
Tara thought the beauty of the underwater coral reef was inconceivably rich in colour and life.
Tara 認為海底珊瑚礁之美在色彩與生機上豐富到難以想像。
- unimaginably
nearly identical in meaning; more common in everyday writing
- unbelievably
less formal; can express surprise rather than impossibility of imagining
- incredibly
very common in informal speech; weaker emotional weight
- conceivably
the direct opposite; suggests something is possible to imagine
文法句型
inconceivably + adjective
verb + inconceivably
用法筆記
Often modifies adjectives that describe scale, intensity, or beauty (vast, enormous, beautiful, complex). The modified word must already carry the idea of extremity — adding inconceivably pushes it beyond the ordinary limit.
常見錯誤
2. At a level of improbability so high that something almost certainly cannot happe
極不可能地
發生機率極低
At a level of improbability so high that something almost certainly cannot happen or is not true.
It is inconceivably rare for a small business to grow into a global company without outside money.
一家小企業在沒有外部資金的情況下成長為全球性公司，這種情況極不可能發生。
inconceivably + rare (probability adjective)
The chance of a single ticket matching all six numbers is inconceivably small.
一張彩券對中全部六個號碼的機率極不可能地低。
chance ... is inconceivably + small
Marco thought it inconceivably unlikely that he would ever see his lost wallet again after five years.
Marco 認為五年後還能找回遺失的錢包，這極不可能發生。
The odds of finding an empty parking spot here on a Saturday night are inconceivably low.
週六晚上要在這裡找到停車位的可能性極不可能地低。
- impossibly
slightly stronger; suggests the thing cannot happen at all, not just very unlikely
- unimaginably
works for both scale and probability; slightly broader
- incredibly
less formal; weaker in degree of unlikelihood
- quite possibly
conveys a realistic chance rather than extreme unlikelihood
文法句型
inconceivably + adjective of probability
it is inconceivably + adjective + that-clause
用法筆記
Strongly associated with probability vocabulary: rare, unlikely, small, low, slim. The that-clause pattern (it is inconceivably + adjective + that...) appears mostly in formal or written English.
常見錯誤
inconceivably — 形容詞
- inconceivablypositive
- more inconceivablycomparative
- most inconceivablysuperlative
1. so strange, extreme, or shocking that the mind cannot form a clear picture of it
難以想像的
無法在腦中形成的
so strange, extreme, or shocking that the mind cannot form a clear picture of it or accept it as possible.
The idea of travelling to Mars was inconceivable to people who lived just a hundred years ago.
對僅一百年前的人們來說，前往火星的想法是難以想像的。
inconceivable to + someone
To the farmers, the amount of money paid for a single painting was utterly inconceivable.
對農民們來說，一幅畫能賣到那麼多錢是完全難以想像的。
It is inconceivable that a trained pilot would simply ignore all the warning signals on the dashboard.
受過訓練的飛行員竟會完全忽略儀表板上的所有警告訊號，這令人難以想像。
A world without any access to the internet was once inconceivable for most office workers.
對大多數上班族來說，完全沒有網路的世界曾經是難以想像的。
Vivek found it inconceivable that his neighbour would sell the family home after fifty years.
Vivek 發現鄰居在住了五十年後賣掉老家，這令他難以想像。
- unthinkable
slightly stronger; suggests the idea should not even be entertained
- unimaginable
very close; more common in everyday speech
- mind-boggling
informal; adds an emotional reaction of amazement
- conceivable
the direct opposite; describes something that can be imagined or believed
文法句型
it is inconceivable that-clause
inconceivable + noun
find/consider something inconceivable
常見錯誤
2. so surprising or extreme that you struggle to accept it as true or real, often b
難以置信的
驚訝到難以接受
so surprising or extreme that you struggle to accept it as true or real, often because it contradicts your expectations.
The underdog team's victory over the reigning champions was inconceivable to sports fans around the world.
弱勢隊伍擊敗衛冕冠軍，這對全球體育迷來說是令人難以置信的。
Maeve received an inconceivable offer for her small bakery from a huge restaurant group.
Maeve 的小麵包店收到了一間大型餐飲集團提出的令人難以置信的收購提議。
inconceivable + offer (noun phrase with surprising value)
To everyone at the school, it was inconceivable that the quiet girl had won the national science prize.
對學校裡的每個人來說，那個安靜的女孩贏得全國科學獎是令人難以置信的。
The amount of money raised for the new hospital in a single weekend was simply inconceivable.
在一個週末內為新醫院募到的金額簡直令人難以置信。
It is inconceivable to Bao that anyone would choose to live in a place without any bookshop.
Bao 無法相信有人會選擇住在一個沒有任何書店的地方。
- unbelievable
the closest synonym; more frequent in everyday conversation
- astounding
slightly more formal; emphasises amazement
- mind-blowing
informal slang; very strong emotional reaction
- predictable
describes something that happens as expected, opposite of surprising
文法句型
it is inconceivable to + someone + that-clause
find something inconceivable
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1 (UNIMAGINABLE): this sense focuses on emotional surprise and contradiction of expectations, not on inability to form a mental image. Commonly takes a personal reference point (to me, to her, to fans).
常見錯誤
3. too difficult or complex for the mind to grasp, understand, or make sense of at
無法理解的
複雜到難以掌握
too difficult or complex for the mind to grasp, understand, or make sense of at all.
The mathematical theory was so advanced that it remained inconceivable to all but a handful of experts.
這個數學理論太過高深，除了少數專家之外，對其他人來說都是無法理解的。
inconceivable to + person/group (intellectual domain)
For the young child, the concept of a number larger than a million was completely inconceivable.
對年幼的孩子來說，超過一百萬的數字概念是完全無法理解的。
The sheer complexity of the human brain remains almost inconceivable even to trained scientists.
人類大腦的極度複雜性，即使對受過訓練的科學家來說也幾乎是無法理解的。
Constanza found the intricate web of international banking regulations truly inconceivable.
Constanza 覺得規範國際銀行業的繁複法規實在令人無法理解。
- incomprehensible
direct synonym; more precise for intellectual difficulty
- unfathomable
suggests depth that cannot be measured; more poetic
- beyond understanding
longer phrase; useful as a paraphrase for learners
- comprehensible
straightforward opposite; describes something that can be grasped
文法句型
inconceivable to + someone
something is inconceivable
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 2 (SHOCKING): this sense is about intellectual failure to grasp complexity, not emotional surprise. The subject is typically abstract (concept, theory, complexity, cruelty). More common in formal or academic writing.