What does implausibly mean?
Implausibly is an adverb meaning “in a way that is unlikely to be true or reasonable.” It is commonly used to describe something so unexpected, extreme, or difficult to believe that it strains credibility. A solution may be implausibly complex; a performance may be implausibly successful; or a response may arrive implausibly quickly. The word does not necessarily mean that something is literally impossible, although it often implies that the claim or situation falls outside what one would normally expect. Compared with “unbelievably” or “incredibly,” it can carry a somewhat more analytical or skeptical tone, especially when describing explanations, evidence, or narratives. In positive contexts, it conveys astonishment, whereas in negative contexts it may suggest that an explanation is contrived or inadequate.
adverbIn a way that is unlikely to be true or reasonable; so implausibly that the result seems extraordinary or doubtful.
- To a degree that is unlikely to be true or reasonable.
"The proposed solution is implausibly complicated for a problem that could be solved with a few lines of code."
"The novel's success story is implausibly long, yet the author attributes it to a small but devoted readership."
"The machine answered the question implausibly quickly, raising immediate suspicions about how it had been programmed."
Something can be implausibly good without being literally impossible: it is simply too extraordinary to seem believable.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does implausibly come from?
Implausibly derives from the adjective implausible, which was formed in the early 19th century from the Latin prefix in- and the word plausible. Plausible comes from Latin plausibilis, meaning “believable” or “acceptable,” and is related to plaudere, “to applaud.” The adverbial form -ly was formed by the regular conversion of the adjective into an adverb, giving the modern word in the 19th century.
Related word forms
How implausibly is actually used
Common in formal and informal contexts. It often expresses surprise or skepticism and can describe outcomes, explanations, sizes, speeds, or behaviours that seem exceptionally unlikely.
Easily confused with implausibly
Implausibly describes something that seems unlikely or unreasonable, whereas impossible describes something that cannot happen or be done.
Implausibly is the adverb form of implausible, describing the degree to which something seems unlikely or unreasonable.