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不堪设想

bù kān shè xiǎngdictionary entry
DEFINITION CC-CEDICT
too horrible to contemplate / unthinkable / inconceivable
Sources & editorial notes

Reference definitions: CC-CEDICT contributors and MDBG, CC BY-SA 4.0. Source release 2026-10-27T01:55:52Z. Imported 2026-10-27. Definition wording and meaning order are retained. Recognized pronunciation references are displayed with tone marks; the original source record is available below.

Source record: cd-c89d0487745c6b4d. Source SHA-256: bbc4b27f26bee1a262f4d7939667a040c7857c7fc0200a2fa7a86d3352a09eae.

Original source entry:

不堪設想 不堪设想 [bu4 kan1 she4 xiang3] /too horrible to contemplate/unthinkable/inconceivable/

Reference definitions and teaching material have separate provenance.

Reference information

The definitions above are from CC-CEDICT. Examples and usage notes are available on selected entries.

Character information

View the individual characters. Their meanings do not necessarily explain the meaning of the whole word.

Other forms in these source records: 不堪設想

  • 不
    bù

    no / not so / (bound form) not / un-

  • 堪
    kān

    (bound form) may / can / (bound form) to endure / to bear / (in 堪輿|堪舆[kān yú]) heaven (contrasted with earth 輿|舆[yú])

  • 设
    shè

    to set up / to put in place / (math.) given / suppose / if

  • 想
    xiǎng

    to think (about) / to think of / to devise / to think (that) / to believe (that) / to desire / to want (to) / to miss (feel wistful about the absence of)

Reference definitions from CC-CEDICT.