3 ms·
100% of the usage I've encountered as a native speaker is "all but impossible" = "almost impossible". This stems from "all but" = "almost"[0] [0]https://www.m
by yodon 3y ago
100% of the usage I've encountered as a native speaker is "all but impossible" = "almost impossible".
This stems from "all but" = "almost"[0]
[0]https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/all%20but https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/all%20but
- Terr_ 3y agoAgreed, to me the meaning unpacks like: "it meets or exceeds every category of difficulty that is less severe than Impossible." Compare to a disaster described as "the destruction is all-but-total". That phrase does not mean "you could describe the destruction by any label except total." For example, whatever just happened it definitely not "tiny" or "moderate".