Implausible
adjective
Definition
1. Difficult to believe.
2. Unlikely to be true.
2. Unlikely to be true.
Context Alive
The detective listened carefully as the suspect explained where he had been that night. But the story sounded implausible — too many details didn’t add up, and witnesses remembered things differently. No one in the room believed a word of it.
Meanings
1 meaning 1 Difficult to Believe (Adjective) Common ▼
This meaning is about something that’s hard to believe because it doesn’t seem reasonable or likely. Imagine a coworker calls in sick but posts beach vacation photos online — their excuse sounds implausible because the evidence doesn’t match. This is describing something that lacks believability. You might say an excuse sounds implausible when the details don’t add up, or a movie plot feels implausible when characters act in unbelievable ways. Or picture someone claiming they finished a 10-hour job in just 30 minutes — that’s implausible, and everyone knows it. The word carries doubt and skepticism. ✏️ Implausible is softer than “impossible” — it means you doubt something, not that it absolutely can’t happen.
Vivid ExampleWhen Jake said he couldn’t come to the meeting because his car broke down, his laptop died, AND his phone ran out of battery all at the same time, everyone exchanged looks. The excuse was so implausible that his manager didn’t even bother arguing — she just sighed and moved on.
Examples from the Street
“His excuse was completely implausible — he said his dog ate his laptop.”
His explanation was totally unbelievable; nobody would accept that story
“I know it sounds implausible, but I swear it actually happened.”
I realise this seems hard to believe, but I’m telling the truth
“The plot was so implausible I couldn’t finish the film.”
The story was so unrealistic and unconvincing that I stopped watching
Common Patterns
completely/totally/highly implausible → emphasising how unbelievable something is
sounds/seems implausible → appears difficult to believe
implausible excuse/explanation/story → a reason or account that nobody would believe
implausible claim/theory → an assertion that lacks credibility
find (something) implausible → personally consider something unbelievable
implausible that (clause) → unbelievable that something is the case
implausible plot/ending/twist → story developments that don’t feel realistic
implausible character/scenario → fictional elements that strain believability
stretch credibility / become implausible → go beyond what audiences will accept
however implausible it may seem/sound → acknowledging something sounds unbelievable
implausible as it sounds → conceding that something is hard to believe
not as implausible as (something else) → comparing levels of believability
Collocations
3 collocationshighly implausible
extremely unlikely to be true
implausible excuse
an explanation that's hard to believe
implausible scenario
a situation that is very unlikely
Example Sentences
12 examples
1
Her excuse for being late was completely implausible — she claimed there was a giraffe blocking the motorway
Her reason for arriving late was totally unbelievable — she said a tall African animal was standing in the middle of the highway.
2
The detective found the suspect’s alibi implausible and continued investigating
The investigator thought the accused person’s account of their whereabouts was unconvincing and kept looking into the case.
3
It seems implausible that no one noticed a painting worth millions had been replaced with a fake
It’s hard to believe that nobody spotted that an artwork worth a fortune had been swapped for a forgery.
4
Critics dismissed the film for its implausible plot and wooden acting
Reviewers rejected the movie because of its unbelievable storyline and stiff performances.
5
I know it sounds implausible, but I really did meet the Prime Minister at a petrol station
I realise it’s hard to believe, but I genuinely did bump into the head of government at a fuel station.
6
The implausible twist at the end ruined an otherwise excellent thriller
The unbelievable surprise ending spoiled what had been a really good suspense novel.
7
However implausible it may seem, scientists have confirmed the discovery is genuine
Even though it’s difficult to believe, researchers have verified that the finding is real.
8
His claim that he’d never received any of my emails was highly implausible
His assertion that none of my messages had reached him was extremely hard to believe.
9
It’s not as implausible as it once was that humans could live on Mars
The idea that people could inhabit the red planet isn’t as far-fetched as it used to be.
10
The theory was widely considered implausible until new evidence emerged last year
The hypothesis was generally thought to be unconvincing until fresh proof came to light twelve months ago.
Learner Examples
★
The teacher found it implausible that five students had all been ill on the same day the assignment was due
The instructor thought it was unbelievable that five learners had all fallen sick on the exact day the homework needed to be handed in.
★
However implausible it may seem, some students go from beginner to fluent in just two years with intensive daily practice
Even though it’s hard to believe, certain learners progress from knowing nothing to speaking naturally in only twenty-four months through constant daily effort.
Synonyms & Antonyms
7 items
Synonymsunlikely
probably not true
unbelievable
hard to believe
far-fetched
too extreme to accept
unconvincing
not persuasive
Antonymsplausible
seems reasonable
believable
easy to accept
credible
trustworthy