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 political situation in the United States may have made the prospect of an American pope seem even more unlikely. — Scott Detrow, NPR, 3 Oct. 2026

The Justice Department argued the outlets are unlikely to succeed on their claims and urged Kelly to deny their request for a preliminary injunction. — Rena Rowe, The Washington Examiner, 3 Oct. 2026

Others, like Eliezer Yudkowsky and Nate Soares, think the empirical methods this would require are extremely unlikely to work, and place the chance that superintelligence kills us all very high. — Geoffrey Irving, Time, 3 Oct. 2026

The show in question is Quotidien, the daily French news and culture program hosted by Yann Barthès on TMC, which has acquired an unlikely second life online thanks to its almost preternaturally flattering studio lighting. — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 3 Oct. 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