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Certainty & Possibility - Impossibility

Explore English idioms that relate to impossibility, including "pie in the sky" and "cry for the moon".

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English idioms related to Certainty & Possibility
{not|never} in a (thousand|million|billion) years

used to say that the chances of something happening or being true are very slim

Ex: Never in a million years did I think he would apologize first. 
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a snowball's chance in hell

the slightest chance of something happening or being true

Ex: Without a lawyer, he doesn't have a snowball's chance in hell of winning the case. 
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a trip to the sun

something that seems impossible to occur

Ex: Getting everyone to agree on the first try would be a trip to the sun. 
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for love (or|nor) money

used to refer to something that cannot be done or obtained in any way

Ex: I couldn't find a taxi for love or money. 
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pie in the sky

something that is very good or desirable but highly unlikely to happen or be real

Ex: A rent-free apartment downtown sounds wonderful, but it's pie in the sky. 
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by (any|no) stretch (of the imagination|)

used to refer to something that is impossible or is extremely hard to imagine or obtain

Ex: By no stretch of the imagination can this be called a fair deal. 
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no way
no way
[phrase]

used to indicate that something is impossible, unacceptable, or absolutely will not happen under any conditions

Ex: No way am I signing that contract without a lawyer. 
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(the|that) ship has (long|) sailed

used to say that an offer or possibility is not renewable or available any more

Ex: You could have applied last month, but that ship has sailed. 
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to ill afford {sth}

to be unable to do or finish something without being harmed or suffering its consequences

Ex: The company can ill afford another delay after losing so many clients. 
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point of no return

the time when it becomes impossible for one to return to a previous place or state or to make a different decision

Ex: Once the documents were signed, we had passed the point of no return. 
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out of the question

not allowed or possible

Ex: A pay cut is out of the question after all the extra hours we worked. 
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when chickens have teeth

said to mean that it is impossible for something to ever happen

Ex: He said he would apologize when chickens have teeth. 
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when hell freezes over

used to express disbelief in something happening

Ex: He'll admit he was wrong when hell freezes over. 
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cold day in hell

used for saying that it is completely unlikely that something ever happens

Ex: It'll be a cold day in hell before he apologizes. 
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when two Sundays meet

used to say that one thinks that something will never happen

Ex: He'll clean the kitchen when two Sundays meet. 
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over {one's} dead (body|corpse)

used to show that one will do whatever one can to stop something from happening

Ex: You want to sell Grandma's house? Over my dead body. 
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to [cry] for the moon

to desire what cannot be achieved

Ex: Asking a brand-new company to beat the market leader in a month is crying for the moon. 
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off the table

(of a proposal, topic, or offer) unavailable or incapable of being considered

Ex: A merger is off the table after last week's disagreement. 
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castle in the (air|sky)

a hope or wish that cannot be realized or fulfilled

Ex: His plan to become a billionaire by next year is just a castle in the air. 
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no-go
no-go
[Adjective]

used to emphasize that something is completely impossible or prohibited

Ex: Smoking inside the building is a no-go. 
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