unlikely
adjective
un·like·ly
ˌən-ˈlī-klē 
1
: not likely : improbable
an unlikely outcome
2
: likely to fail : unpromising
Synonyms
Examples of unlikely in a Sentence
He was an unlikely candidate for the position.
A big city seems like an unlikely place to find wildlife.
I received support from an unlikely ally.
Recent Examples on the Web
The director’s debut stars Bae Doo-na as a police officer who forms an unlikely bond with a local girl, played by Kim Sae-ron.
—
Joan MacDonald, Forbes, 21 Oct. 2024
The deciding factor is unlikely to be too little anxiety or a shortage of doomscrolling.
—Arianna Huffington, TIME, 21 Oct. 2024
With Crestone’s year-round population of 141, you’re guaranteed a private retreat—unlikely to run into much but mesquite.
—Kristi Kellogg, Architectural Digest, 21 Oct. 2024
Myers is an unlikely candidate to start a pickup basketball league in Brooklyn.
—Frankie De La Cretaz, SELF, 21 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for unlikely 
Joan MacDonald, Forbes, 21 Oct. 2024
The deciding factor is unlikely to be too little anxiety or a shortage of doomscrolling.
—Arianna Huffington, TIME, 21 Oct. 2024
With Crestone’s year-round population of 141, you’re guaranteed a private retreat—unlikely to run into much but mesquite.
—Kristi Kellogg, Architectural Digest, 21 Oct. 2024
Myers is an unlikely candidate to start a pickup basketball league in Brooklyn.
—Frankie De La Cretaz, SELF, 21 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for unlikely
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'unlikely.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near unlikely
Cite this Entry
“Unlikely.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unlikely. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
unlikely
adjective
un·like·ly
ˌən-ˈlī-klē
ˈən-
1
: not likely : improbable
an unlikely story
2
: likely to fail : unpromising
an unlikely place for fishing
unlikeliness
noun
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