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:
For all their semblance of careful formulation, Berry’s essays are not always closely argued—a consequence, perhaps, of his tendency to engage most fully with thinkers unlikely to challenge his views.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2026
In reality, any AI bubble is unlikely to burst immediately.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 21, 2026
He remains third on the all-time list with 704, a record for a pace bowler that is unlikely to be broken.
From BBC ● Oct. 21, 2026
Jackdaw is unlikely to significantly reduce household energy bills because UK gas prices are largely determined by international markets, exposing them to external shocks.
From Barron's ● Oct. 21, 2026
Mom says that is unlikely, but I can’t stop thinking about it.
From "A Rover's Story" by Jasmine Warga
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
Some of the suggested new tributes reach into unlikelier cultural realms.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2022
To imagine an even unlikelier hypothetical, let’s take Beijing at its word and imagine it would allow Facebook a fair playing field.
From Washington Post ● Jul. 31, 2018
Yet, oddly enough, I found a far unlikelier substance, and that was camphor.
From The Time Machine by H. G. (Herbert George) Wells
Perhaps the unlikeliest member of the group is activist Matt Staniek.
From BBC ● Oct. 21, 2026
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
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
The Estadio da Luz then erupted deep in injury time as Trubin turned the unlikeliest of heroes as he nodded in from a free-kick to send Benfica through.
From Barron's ● Jan. 28, 2026
It was the old tale retold, that to the life of every man there is a background,—that it is precisely in the unlikeliest cases that the background's darkest.
From The Beetle by Richard Marsh
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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.
