unbelievable
unbelievable — adjective
1. causing great surprise because it goes beyond what you thought was possible or n
causing great surprise because it goes beyond what you thought was possible or normal
Tamar found it unbelievable that she had won first prize in the national science contest.
find + it + unbelievable + that-clause
Ignacio stared at the test results, finding them completely unbelievable.
find + object + completely unbelievable
Hiro received an unbelievable phone call from a hospital that had found his lost wallet.
The nurse called the scene unbelievable — an earthquake had lifted a car onto the school roof.
- incredible
very close in meaning and often interchangeable, though 'incredible' can also mean 'extremely good'
- astonishing
slightly more formal, focusing on the feeling of wonder rather than doubt
- mind-blowing
informal and much stronger, used for things that amaze or overwhelm
- believable
direct opposite; describes something that can be accepted as true
- unsurprising
opposite in meaning; describes something expected rather than shocking
文法句型
it is unbelievable that + clause
find + noun + unbelievable
用法筆記
Often used with 'it is' followed by a that-clause to express shock at an unexpected event. Distinguish from sense 2, where the focus is on improbability rather than emotional surprise.
常見錯誤
2. describing something that seems too unlikely to be accepted as true
describing something that seems too unlikely to be accepted as true
Lakshmi said the excuse was unbelievable because no one could miss a flight three times.
be + unbelievable (describing an excuse)
Erik told an unbelievable story about finding gold in his grandmother's old garden shed.
unbelievable + story
Indra thought the plot of the film was unbelievable — cars cannot fly through outer space.
Christopher claimed he saw a lion in the park — a story that sounded completely unbelievable.
- implausible
more formal, focuses on lack of likelihood when judged by reason
- far-fetched
informal, often describes stories or explanations that are hard to accept
- improbable
the most direct synonym, neutral in register
文法句型
be + unbelievable
sound + unbelievable
seem + unbelievable
用法筆記
Commonly describes stories, excuses, or claims that are too unlikely to be accepted. Differs from sense 1 in that the focus is on the lack of likelihood rather than the emotional shock of surprise.
常見錯誤
3. placed before a noun to give strong emphasis to how good, bad, impressive, or su
placed before a noun to give strong emphasis to how good, bad, impressive, or surprising something is — for example, calling a meal 'unbelievable' means it was extremely good
Jabari ordered a meal that came with an unbelievable amount of fresh seafood.
unbelievable + amount of + noun
Zayd paid an unbelievable price for a tiny one-bedroom flat near the city center.
unbelievable + price
Élise has an unbelievable talent for remembering peoples' names after meeting them once.
Darius showed an unbelievable amount of patience while teaching his little sister how to read.
- extraordinary
similar intensifier but more formal in tone
- remarkable
positive connotation, slightly less strong than 'unbelievable'
- phenomenal
informal and very strong, often used for impressive achievements
- ordinary
opposite; describes something average or unremarkable
- unremarkable
describes something that does not stand out in any way
文法句型
unbelievable + noun
用法筆記
Appears before a noun to mean 'extremely good, bad, or impressive' — for example, 'unbelievable luck' means 'extraordinary luck.' Unlike senses 1 and 2, this sense does not express doubt or disbelief; it simply adds force to the description.