1
Core quality
Difficult or impossible to believe because it seems unlikely or unsupported.
Example
The proposed timeline is implausible given the travel records.
implausible
/ɪmˈplɔːzəbəl/ · im-PLAW-zuh-buladjective
Difficult or impossible to believe because it seems unlikely or unsupported.
Use implausible to express this relationship precisely: difficult or impossible to believe because it seems unlikely or unsupported.
What implausible Really Means
The word becomes easier to use when its closely related senses are separated and compared.
2
Attributive or predicative use
Use this adjective before a suitable noun or after a linking verb such as be or seem.
Example
Her account sounded unusual but not implausible.
3
Analytical distinction
Choose it when this exact descriptive quality matters; a related word may overlap without conveying the same trait.
Example
The model produces implausible results at extreme values.
Use implausible Naturally
Notice how the surrounding noun or clause reveals the exact shade of meaning.
The proposed timeline is implausible given the travel records.
Her account sounded unusual but not implausible.
The model produces implausible results at extreme values.
Precision Matters
Implausible overlaps with several common words, but each carries a different emphasis.
implausible
vs.Means difficult or impossible to believe because it seems unlikely or unsupported.
plausible
Means seeming reasonable, credible, or likely to be true, even if not yet proved.
implausible
vs.Means difficult or impossible to believe because it seems unlikely or unsupported.
incontrovertible
Means impossible to deny or dispute because the evidence is decisive.
implausible
vs.Means difficult or impossible to believe because it seems unlikely or unsupported.
specious
Means seemingly reasonable, true, or attractive at first, but actually false or misleading.
implausible
vs.Means difficult or impossible to believe because it seems unlikely or unsupported.
erroneous
Means incorrect, mistaken, or containing an error.
Test implausible in Context
The explanation is too unlikely to be credible.
1
The claim that one person built the entire monument overnight is plainly ___.