unlikely
Americanadjective
-
not likely to be or occur; improbable; marked by doubt.
-
holding little prospect of success; unpromising; likely to fail.
He is an unlikely candidate for reelection.
-
not ingratiating; objectionable.
adverb
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of unlikely
First recorded in 1325–75, unlikely is from the Middle English word unlikli. See un- 1, likely
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
And in that interview he discussed why he thinks it unlikely the court will overturn the marriage equality decision, Obergefell.
From Slate ● Oct. 16, 2026
The brothers declined to give any details about what their next joint project would be, but it is unlikely to be fantasy-based.
From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026
“Bobby Robotowitz” follows Dina, a flailing novelist, mother and wife, as she begins chatting with Bobby, whom she finds an unlikely confidant.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026
Analysts say the move is unlikely to achieve its intended effect.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026
“So, these two really showed compatibility?” he said in a way that made it clear that he found that highly unlikely.
From "Glitch" by Laura Martin
Then the next game turned out to be even unlikelier.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 12, 2026
Soon, Gef appeared in an even unlikelier place: the British courts.
From National Geographic ● Sep. 19, 2023
There will be more challenges to come, but they seem unlikelier than ever to prevail.
From Slate ● Jun. 15, 2023
Some of the suggested new tributes reach into unlikelier cultural realms.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2022
If he's shamming—and unlikelier things have happened, now you mention it—the doctor finds him out.
From Nicky-Nan, Reservist by Sir Arthur Thomas Quiller-Couch
He also discovers the unlikeliest of love stories, making the appealingly discursive, touchingly oddball “History” feel like a bent, colorful flower poking out of the pavement.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 25, 2026
Then foreigners tasted it, lost their minds and turned a condiment into the World Cup’s unlikeliest phenomenon.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
Balancing sorrow with self-deprecation, Maron covers childhood abuse, his father’s dementia, evacuating his home with three cats during the L.A. fires and becoming the unlikeliest of Swifties.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 27, 2026
It is, according to bookmakers, the unlikeliest Super Bowl match-up of modern times.
From Barron's ● Feb. 8, 2026
We learn our hardest lessons from unlikeliest masters.
From Heralds of Empire Being the Story of One Ramsay Stanhope, Lieutenant to Pierre Radisson in the Northern Fur Trade by Agnes C. (Agnes Christina) Laut
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
