unlikely

adjective

un·​like·​ly ˌən-ˈlī-klē 

1

: not likely : improbable

an unlikely outcome

2

: likely to fail : unpromising

Synonyms

• doubtful
• dubious
• improbable
• questionable

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

Any appeal by Patterson was unlikely to succeed, though it could not be ruled out, Beale said on Friday. —CNN Money, 8 Aug. 2025

And while a gas giant planet seems an unlikely home for life, moons offer the possibility of solid ground, or even oceans. —Nell Greenfieldboyce, NPR, 7 Aug. 2025

This move is unlikely to harm the brand, which remains beloved for its culture and customer experience. —Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Aug. 2025

In my opinion, the way forward would be to let Bungie take a break from endless live content for a spell and actually make a Destiny 3, but that seems unlikely, as Sony wants to keep extracting as much cash as consistently as possible from the franchise. —Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for unlikely

• likely

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