unlikely
adjective
un·like·ly
ˌən-ˈlī-klē 
1
: not likely : improbable
an unlikely outcome
2
: likely to fail : unpromising
Synonyms
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
Immediately, the unlikely crime solving duo of catering chef Goldy Berry and police detective Tom Schultz are on the case once again.
—
Rebecca Angel Baer, Southern Living, 26 Apr. 2024
One thing unlikely to happen, however, is for their kids to rekindle their relationship.
—Jack Irvin, Peoplemag, 25 Apr. 2024
To meet that market demand, sweet potatoes are subjected to rounds of laborious and time-consuming quality assessments to root out undesirable batches that are either too firm, not sweet enough, or otherwise deemed unlikely to sell.
—Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, 25 Apr. 2024
Immediately, Kuehl thought her sudden stroke of financial luck seemed unlikely.
—Journal Sentinel, 25 Apr. 2024
That’s because the other big factor that sets stock prices, interest rates, looks unlikely to offer much help in the near term.
—Zimo Zhong, Quartz, 23 Apr. 2024
For many, the pleas from firms for more time — that the next decade in markets is unlikely to resemble the last — ring hollow.
—Justina Lee, Fortune, 23 Apr. 2024
For healthy adults eating a well-balanced and varied diet, a multivitamin is unlikely to provide many benefits, and there can be potential downsides.
—Sarah Anzlovar, Ms, Verywell Health, 23 Apr. 2024
The classic ska-punk group’s show was among the most unlikely and surprising of the weekend, marking No Doubt’s first show together in nine years.
—Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone, 14 Apr. 2024
Rebecca Angel Baer, Southern Living, 26 Apr. 2024
One thing unlikely to happen, however, is for their kids to rekindle their relationship.
—Jack Irvin, Peoplemag, 25 Apr. 2024
To meet that market demand, sweet potatoes are subjected to rounds of laborious and time-consuming quality assessments to root out undesirable batches that are either too firm, not sweet enough, or otherwise deemed unlikely to sell.
—Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, 25 Apr. 2024
Immediately, Kuehl thought her sudden stroke of financial luck seemed unlikely.
—Journal Sentinel, 25 Apr. 2024
That’s because the other big factor that sets stock prices, interest rates, looks unlikely to offer much help in the near term.
—Zimo Zhong, Quartz, 23 Apr. 2024
For many, the pleas from firms for more time — that the next decade in markets is unlikely to resemble the last — ring hollow.
—Justina Lee, Fortune, 23 Apr. 2024
For healthy adults eating a well-balanced and varied diet, a multivitamin is unlikely to provide many benefits, and there can be potential downsides.
—Sarah Anzlovar, Ms, Verywell Health, 23 Apr. 2024
The classic ska-punk group’s show was among the most unlikely and surprising of the weekend, marking No Doubt’s first show together in nine years.
—Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone, 14 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'unlikely.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near unlikely
Cite this Entry
“Unlikely.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unlikely. Accessed 29 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids 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
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