unlikely

American  

[uhn-lahyk-lee] / ʌnˈlaɪk li /

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 British  

/ ʌnˈlaɪklɪ /

adjective

1. not likely; improbable

---

unlikely Idioms  

1. see in the unlikely event.

---

Other Word Forms

• unlikeliness noun

Etymology

Origin of unlikely

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

Example Sentences

In some ways Mr. Bessent is an unlikely choice to be given so much authority over Mr. Trump’s agenda.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 24, 2026

I think it’s very unlikely that the court will rule against the amendment.

From Slate • Apr. 24, 2026

Dr. Turyshev emphasizes that without a clear, testable prediction, additional experiments in the solar system are unlikely to yield new results.

From Science Daily • Apr. 24, 2026

Data analytics itself is unlikely to disappear, but it is evolving quickly.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 24, 2026

“I cannot believe that he has not the power of coming, if he made a point of it. It is too unlikely, for me to believe it without proof.”

From "Emma" by Jane Austen

Related Words

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