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

There’s unlikely to be much appetite in the country or elsewhere in the region for an overhaul – especially as China and Brazil are planning a railway corridor linking the country, and its exports like soybeans and iron ore, to the Peruvian port. —Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 31 Jan. 2026

But Republicans are unlikely to agree to all of Democrats' demands. —Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, Arkansas Online, 30 Jan. 2026

As crypto becomes more connected to the global financial market, price analysis is unlikely to cover all of them. —Matthew Kayser, Freep.com, 30 Jan. 2026

In The Beauty, Ryan Murphy and co-creator Matthew Hodgson have concocted a genre-hopping oddity that sounds unlikely to work. —Judy Berman, Time, 30 Jan. 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