it literally impossible

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "it literally impossible" is not correct in English.
Did you mean "it is literally impossible"? You can use this phrase to emphasize that something is not possible in a very strong or absolute way. Example: "Given the current circumstances, it is literally impossible to complete the project on time."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

8 human-written examples

Mr. Cohen also said the prosecution had "gone out of its way to exploit the anguish and pain of 9/11 to fill an enormous evidentiary vacuum," making it "literally impossible for a jury of New Yorkers to look objectively" at the case.

The New York Times

Blockchain offers a solution, Saunders believes, a decentralized system would make it literally impossible for the infrastructure to fail under an excess of requests.

TechCrunch

It follows a speech by David Cameron on Monday in which he said the new GPS tracking system would "pinpoint exactly where offenders are, making it literally impossible to hide under the radar".

BBC

2016 proved a highly experimental year for the album release model, with Chance The Rapper making it literally impossible to own the streaming-only Coloring Book and Kanye West still tweaking his The Life Of Pablo well after release.

Forbes

(I'm assuming e-book market share will eventually plateau somewhere north of 50%.) Meanwhile, publishers cling to the model wherein readers purchase books individually, usually before they've been read: a model so entrenched that many seem to find it literally impossible to believe that alternatives might exist.

TechCrunch

It makes it literally impossible to find a second job because you don't know what your availability is.

HuffPost

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

52 human-written examples

It's literally impossible and it's a waste of paper.

TechCrunch

I woke up the next morning with a smudged out, blurry mess of ink on my arm – something I still haven't covered up because it's literally impossible to do anything to it without making it look even worse.

Vice

It's literally impossible for me to imagine what it is like to inhabit such a bleak mental space.

Vice

It has been scientifically proven (possibly) that it's literally impossible to not croon along to in an approximation of the singer's weird atlantic-euro singing voice.

Vice

After all, it's literally impossible to be depressed when you're drinking gin – it's why Hemingway lived such a long, happy life.

Vice

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Always ensure the correct grammatical structure "it is literally impossible" is used to avoid miscommunication and maintain clarity in your writing. Remember that the word "literally" should be used to emphasize the impossibility, not as a mere intensifier.

Common error

Don't omit the verb "is" as it leads to grammatical errors. The correct structure is "it is literally impossible", not "it literally impossible". This ensures clarity and credibility in your writing.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "it literally impossible" is intended to function as a declarative statement expressing impossibility. However, as Ludwig AI points out, it is grammatically incorrect due to the omission of the verb "is".

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Science

25%

Academia

25%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while the phrase "it literally impossible" aims to strongly express that something cannot occur, it's crucial to recognize that it is grammatically incorrect. As identified by Ludwig AI, the omission of the verb "is" disrupts the sentence structure. Correct alternatives include "it is absolutely impossible" or "it is virtually impossible". Usage appears mostly in News & Media and Science, yet its incorrectness urges caution, especially in formal settings. Always aim for grammatical precision to maintain clarity and credibility.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

it is absolutely impossible

Replaces "literally" with "absolutely" for emphasis, and corrects the grammatical structure.

it is completely impossible

Substitutes "literally" with "completely", adjusting the degree of impossibility while fixing the grammar.

it is utterly impossible

Uses "utterly" instead of "literally" to intensify the impossibility, correcting the grammatical structure.

it is quite impossible

Replaces "literally" with "quite", indicating a high degree of impossibility and improving grammar.

it is virtually impossible

Employs "virtually" instead of "literally", implying near impossibility, and corrects grammatical issues.

it is practically impossible

Utilizes "practically" as a substitute for "literally", suggesting impossibility in practice, with grammatical correction.

it is beyond the realm of possibility

Expresses impossibility with a more elaborate and figurative phrase, and addresses the grammatical problem.

there's no way it can happen

Offers an informal alternative conveying impossibility, and is grammatically correct.

it cannot be done under any circumstances

Provides a formal alternative that emphasizes the absolute nature of the impossibility, and corrects the grammar.

it defies all possibility

Uses a stronger, more emphatic way to express impossibility, and corrects the grammatical structure.

FAQs

How do I correctly use the phrase "it is literally impossible" in a sentence?

Use "it is literally impossible" to emphasize that something cannot happen or be done under any circumstances. For example: "Given the current resource constraints, "it is literally impossible" to complete the project on time."

What are some alternatives to saying "it is literally impossible"?

You can use phrases like "it is absolutely impossible", "it is completely impossible", or "it is utterly impossible" to convey a similar meaning with slight variations in emphasis.

Is there a difference between "it is literally impossible" and "it is virtually impossible"?

"It is literally impossible" suggests that something is impossible in the strictest sense, while "it is virtually impossible" implies that something is so unlikely as to be almost impossible.

Why is "it literally impossible" considered grammatically incorrect?

The phrase "it literally impossible" is grammatically incorrect because it's missing the verb "is". The correct form is ""it is literally impossible"", which includes the necessary verb to complete the sentence structure.