implausibly

Implausibly is an adverb meaning in a manner that is unlikely or difficult to believe; not credibly plausible. It is used to modify a verb, an adjective, or an entire clause to signal skepticism about the truth or feasibility of a statement or event.

The word forms from plausible, with the negative prefix in- creating implausible, and the suffix -ly producing the adverb. The pronunciation is typically im-PLAWS-uh-blee, with the main stress on the second syllable.

Usage notes emphasize that implausibly often conveys doubt or critical distance. It can heighten descriptions of events, explanations, or claims that seem contrived, exaggerated, or inconsistent with known facts. The term is common in analytical writing, journalism, and literary criticism, but it also appears in everyday speech when describing something that strains credibility. It frequently combines with degree modifiers such as very, incredibly, or surprisingly, and with adjectives like unlikely, convenient, or elaborate.

Examples: The alibi was implausibly neat, resting on a string of coincidences. The plan came off as implausibly simple, given the complexity claimed by its proponents. In fiction, a character may present an implausibly perfect solution to a problem to highlight flaws in the plot.

Related terms include plausible, plausibility, plausibly, and the related adverb implausibly as the negated counterpart to plausibly. Antonyms center on credibility and believability, with plausibly serving as the direct opposite in many contexts.