Extreme vs Impossible - What's the difference?
extreme | impossible |
Of a place, the most remote, farthest or outermost.
In the greatest or highest degree; intense.
* , chapter=13
, title= Excessive, or far beyond the norm.
* {{quote-magazine, date=2013-03
, author=Frank Fish, George Lauder, volume=101, issue=2, page=114, magazine=(American Scientist)
, title= Drastic, or of great severity.
Of sports, difficult or dangerous; performed in a hazardous environment.
(archaic) Ultimate, final or last.
The greatest or utmost point, degree or condition.
*
, title=(The Celebrity), chapter=2
, passage=Sunning himself on the board steps, I saw for the first time Mr. Farquhar Fenelon Cooke.
Each of the things at opposite ends of a range or scale.
A drastic expedient.
(mathematics) Either of the two numbers at the ends of a proportion, as 1'' and ''6'' in ''1:2=3:6 .
(archaic) Extremely.
* 1796 Charles Burney, Memoirs of the Life and Writings of Metastasio 2.5:
Not possible; not able to be done or happen.
* 1865 , (Lewis Carroll), (w, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland)
* 13 March 1962 ,
* {{quote-magazine, date=2013-06-28, author=(Joris Luyendijk)
, volume=189, issue=3, page=21, magazine=(The Guardian Weekly)
, title= (colloquial, of a person) Very difficult to deal with.
(math, dated) imaginary
an impossibility
* Late 14th century': “Madame,” quod he, “this were an '''impossible !” — Geoffrey Chaucer, ‘The Franklin's Tale’, ''Canterbury Tales
As nouns the difference between extreme and impossible
is that extreme is while impossible is an impossibility.As an adjective impossible is
not possible; not able to be done or happen.extreme
English
Adjective
(en-adj)The Mirror and the Lamp, passage=And Vickers launched forth into a tirade very different from his platform utterances. He spoke with extreme contempt of the dense stupidity exhibited on all occasions by the working classes. He said that if you wanted to do anything for them, you must rule them, not pamper them.}}
Not Just Going with the Flow, passage=An extreme version of vorticity is a vortex . The vortex is a spinning, cyclonic mass of fluid, which can be observed in the rotation of water going down a drain, as well as in smoke rings, tornados and hurricanes.}}
- the extreme hour of life
Synonyms
* (place) farthest, furthest, most distant, outermost, remotest * (in greatest or highest degree) greatest, highest * (excessive) excessive, too much * (drastic) drastic, severe * (sports) dangerous * (ultimate) final, last, ultimateAntonyms
* (place) closest, nearest * (in greatest or highest degree) least * (excessive) moderate, reasonable * (drastic) moderate, reasonableDerived terms
* extremenessNoun
(en noun)Adverb
(en adverb)- In the empty and extreme cold theatre.
Usage notes
* Formerly used to modify adjectives and sometimes adverbs, but rarely verbs.Derived terms
* extremism * extremist * extremity * extremely * extreme ironing * extreme unctionSee also
* meanReferences
* ----impossible
English
Alternative forms
* inpossible (obsolete)Adjective
(en adjective)- Nothing is impossible , only impassible.
- Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.
Our banks are out of control, passage=Seeing the British establishment struggle with the financial sector is like watching an alcoholic […]. Until 2008 there was denial over what finance had become. When a series of bank failures made this impossible , there was widespread anger, leading to the public humiliation of symbolic figures.}}
- impossible quantities, or imaginary numbers