unlikely

[uhn-lahyk-lee]

adjective

unlikelier, unlikeliest 

1. not likely to be or occur; improbable; marked by doubt.

2. holding little prospect of success; unpromising; likely to fail.

   He is an unlikely candidate for reelection.

3. not ingratiating; objectionable.

adverb

1. in an unlikely way.

unlikely

/ ʌnˈlaɪklɪ /

adjective

1. not likely; improbable

Other Word Forms

• unlikeliness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of unlikely¹

First recorded in 1325–75, unlikely is from the Middle English word unlikli. See un- ¹, likely

Idioms and Phrases

see in the unlikely event.

Example Sentences

The EU is unlikely to create obstacles either.

Read more on BBC

Despite how easy it is to operate a BlackFly, eVTOLs are unlikely to become popular for urban commuting any time soon.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

But the position on oil and gas has always been pretty nuanced - and Swinney is unlikely to see this as the moment to make any radical moves.

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With “Gotham at War,” completing his epic “Gotham” trilogy, Mike Wallace, a historian emeritus at John Jay College, has come closer than anyone else and is unlikely to be rivaled anytime soon.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Rate cuts are unlikely this year as the central bank remains focused on addressing high inflation expectations, they said.

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Related Words

• absurd 
• implausible 
• improbable 
• inconceivable 
• incredible 
• rare 
• remote 
• strange 
• unbelievable