unlikely

adjective

un·​like·​ly ˌən-ˈlī-klē 

1

: not likely : improbable

an unlikely outcome

2

: likely to fail : unpromising

Synonyms

• doubtful
• dubious
• far-fetched
• flimsy
• improbable
• questionable
• unapt

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 plaintiffs are the Idaho Academy of Family Physicians, two physicians and the four women testifying this week, who learned while pregnant that their fetuses were unlikely to survive. —Aria Bendix, NBC News, 12 Nov. 2024

Gunmen from the Manfredi and Bevilaqua outfits, led by weed store employee and unlikely sharpshooter Grace, take out the rest of the Triads. —Sean T. Collins, Vulture, 10 Nov. 2024

All the staples are there, too: bloody battles, surprising revelations and dormant powers within unlikely sources. —Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 7 Nov. 2024

The military and the civil service are unlikely to take any provocative action that would trigger, let alone justify, such a purge. —Peter D. Feaver, Foreign Affairs, 6 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids 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