UNLIKELY
unlikely
(adjective) has little chance of being the case or coming about; “an unlikely story”; “an unlikely candidate for reelection”; “a butcher is unlikely to preach vegetarianism”
improbable, unlikely
(adjective) not likely to be true or to occur or to have occurred; “legislation on the question is highly unlikely”; “an improbable event”
improbable, unbelievable, unconvincing, unlikely
(adjective) having a probability too low to inspire belief
Source: WordNet® 3.1
Etymology
Adjective
unlikely (comparative unlikelier or more unlikely, superlative unlikeliest or most unlikely)
Not likely; improbable; not to be reasonably expected.
Not holding out a prospect of success; likely to fail; unpromising.
Adverb
unlikely (comparative more unlikely, superlative most unlikely)
In an improbable manner.
Noun
unlikely (plural unlikelies)
Something or somebody considered unlikely.
Source: Wiktionary
Un*like"ly, a.
1. Not likely; improbable; not to be reasonably expected; as, an unlikely event; the thing you mention is very unlikely.
2. Not holding out a prospect of success; likely to fail; unpromising; as, unlikely means. Hooker.
3. Not such as to inspire liking; unattractive; disagreeable. [Obs.] "The unlikely eld of me." Chaucer.
Un*like"ly, adv.
Definition: In an unlikely manner.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
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Word of the Day
19 June 2025
ROOTS
(noun) the condition of belonging to a particular place or group by virtue of social or ethnic or cultural lineage; “his roots in Texas go back a long way”; “he went back to Sweden to search for his roots”; “his music has African roots”
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