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View synonyms for

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

/ ʌˈɪɪ /

adjective

  1. not likely; improbable
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Derived Forms

  • ܲˈԱ, noun
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Other Word Forms

  • ܲ·l·Ա noun
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Word History and Origins

Origin of unlikely1

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

see in the unlikely event .
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

All protests are quickly subdued and censored on social media, so it is unlikely to pose a real threat to Xi for now.

From

Now, he's faced the Canadian electorate as a first time campaigner, won an Ottawa-area seat in the House of Commons and steered his party to an unlikely victory.

From

That is unlikely to put off the bug hunters in the meantime.

From

Earlier this year, Bradford Councils' Safeguarding Children Partnership said a new inquiry was "unlikely to provide us with any new learnings" having held an independent review in 2021.

From

Technically, this is unlikely to meet the Met Office's criteria for a heatwave.

From

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

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unlikelihoodunlimber