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

The team rallied to win their first Test in Australia since 2011 at the MCG in Melbourne and have now taken the final Test into a fifth day in Sydney, albeit victory looks unlikely. —Tim Spiers, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026

Oil investors and analysts, however, believe US actions against Venezuela are unlikely to have a major impact on China’s oil supply, given Venezuela’s relatively modest output and the role of non-state buyers. —Steven Jiang, CNN Money, 6 Jan. 2026

Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at UC Agriculture and Natural Resources, said a major drought year is unlikely given how much precipitation the state has gotten, adding that the southern part of state is seeing one of the wettest starts to any water year on record. —Chaewon Chung updated January 6, Sacbee.com, 6 Jan. 2026

From Ciara and Derek Jeter to Terry Crews and Billy Crudup, unlikely pairs of stars have uncovered shocking links. —Brendan Le, PEOPLE, 6 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