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

In 1977, two women living in the United States Embassy in Moscow become unlikely spies. —Michael Schneider, Variety, 12 June 2026

At first glance, this quiet corner of the North Atlantic might seem an unlikely place to search for animal life. —Literary Hub, 11 June 2026

While global air and sea surface temperatures are currently falling short of new record highs, climate scientists warn this pause is unlikely to last. —Daniel Peck, ABC News, 11 June 2026

That supervision is unlikely to become an annuity at the old scale and margin because governing AI runs on the hyperscalers, the model labs, and Microsoft within Azure AI, all of whom sit closer to it than any integrator and intend to sell it themselves. —Janakiram Msv, Forbes.com, 11 June 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