unlikely

adjective

un·​like·​ly ˌən-ˈlī-klē 

1

: not likely : improbable

an unlikely outcome

2

: likely to fail : unpromising

an unlikely place to see much wildlife

Synonyms of unlikely

• doubtful
• dubious
• questionable
• improbable

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

And who else could sing over the credits but Susan Boyle, a reminder that sometimes taking chances leads to unlikely victories after all? — Keith Phipps, Vulture, 19 Aug. 2026

Iran is unlikely to give up the leverage offered by having proxies spread across the region, even if some of them have been degraded by Israel or lost a foothold thanks to regime change, as is the case in Syria. — Tim Lister, CNN Money, 19 Aug. 2026

Yes, the Bengals landed right guard Dalton Risner near the end of last August, but finding a similar player this year would be unlikely, and Risner’s path to becoming a starter in 2025 came at the expense of early-season issues. — Paul Dehner Jr, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026

Canadian Jacob Shaffelburg chased running and soccer instead of hockey, launching an unlikely path from tiny Port Williams to LAFC and Canada’s historic home World Cup run. — Los Angeles Times, 18 Aug. 2026

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