is pretty impossible

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "is pretty impossible" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to express that something is difficult or improbable. For example: "Trying to predict the weather every day for a month is pretty impossible."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Wiki

Science & Research

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

5 human-written examples

"In individual families there are genetic components and there are behavioral components, and teasing these apart is pretty impossible," said Dr. Robinson of Stanford.

The New York Times - Health

"That market is almost closed to it now because the chances of people moving their friendship circles to Google is pretty impossible".

The Guardian - Tech

"One of these could be more flexible possibilities to terminate a permanent work contract (which is pretty impossible today) when third-party funding of a project ends".

Science Magazine

Gerry O., Clayton P.

Huffington Post

This is pretty impossible, considering how much L eats.

WikiHow

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

55 human-written examples

(Careful: These people are impossible, and they are everywhere. Staying away from them will lead you to happiness and inner peace. But, because they're everywhere, it's pretty impossible to stay away from them. See? Another impossibility).

Huffington Post

"If you don't have a phone, it's pretty impossible," he said.

The New York Times

"But it's pretty impossible to pinpoint things at this stage.

The Guardian - Sport

These fat, moist sticks of sheer colour are pretty impossible to mess up.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

It's pretty impossible when you're belting out Bon Jovi and sharing sweat and laughter with strangers.

The Guardian

"Now everybody can hit five, six, seven feet beyond the baseline, which was pretty impossible to do back then".

The New York Times - Sports

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "is pretty impossible" to express a strong sense of improbability or difficulty, but be mindful that it's less formal than "is virtually impossible".

Common error

While "is pretty impossible" is acceptable in many situations, avoid overusing the word "pretty" in formal writing. Consider using more precise alternatives like "quite", "very", or "highly" to maintain a professional tone.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "is pretty impossible" functions as a predicative adjective phrase, describing a subject as being highly improbable or presenting a significant degree of difficulty. Ludwig confirms its usability, showing varied examples in news articles and blogs.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Wiki

20%

Science & Research

8%

Less common in

Formal & Business

4%

Academia

4%

Encyclopedias

4%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "is pretty impossible" is a grammatically correct and relatively common expression used to describe something highly unlikely or difficult. Ludwig highlights its presence across various contexts, especially in News & Media and Wiki sources. While acceptable in many scenarios, remember that more formal alternatives exist, such as "is virtually unattainable", for professional or academic settings. Its communicative purpose involves assessing infeasibility or highlighting challenges, and its register leans towards neutral to informal. The phrase is deemed usable by Ludwig.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

is virtually unattainable

Indicates something is almost impossible to achieve.

is nearly unachievable

Implies a high degree of difficulty in achieving something.

is practically unfeasible

Highlights the impracticality of a certain action or plan.

is realistically out of the question

Suggests that something is not a viable option considering the circumstances.

is hardly conceivable

Indicates a very low probability or likelihood.

is remotely improbable

Emphasizes the unlikelihood of an event.

is far from achievable

Emphasizes the great distance from being able to be achieved.

is out of reach

Suggests that something is unobtainable.

is beyond the realm of possibility

Indicates that something is not possible.

is a long shot

Indicates something has a low chance of succeeding.

FAQs

How can I use "is pretty impossible" in a sentence?

You can use "is pretty impossible" to describe something that is highly unlikely or very difficult to achieve. For example, "Predicting the exact outcome of the election is pretty impossible".

What's a more formal alternative to "is pretty impossible"?

For more formal contexts, consider using phrases like "is virtually unattainable", "is highly improbable", or "is exceedingly difficult" instead of "is pretty impossible".

Is "is pretty impossible" grammatically correct?

Yes, "is pretty impossible" is grammatically correct and commonly used in spoken and written English, though it tends to be less formal. It uses the verb "is" correctly with the adjective phrase "pretty impossible".

What's the difference between "is pretty impossible" and "is absolutely impossible"?

"Is absolutely impossible" expresses a stronger sense of impossibility. While "is pretty impossible" suggests a high degree of difficulty or unlikelihood, "is absolutely impossible" indicates that something is completely out of the question.