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unlikely

un·like·ly
U u

Transcription

    • US Pronunciation
    • US IPA
    • UK Pronunciation
    • UK IPA
    • [uhn-lahyk-lee]
    • /ʌnˈlaɪk li/
    • /ʌnˈlaɪkli/
    • US Pronunciation
    • US IPA
    • [uhn-lahyk-lee]
    • /ʌnˈlaɪk li/

Definitions of unlikely word

  • adjective unlikely not likely to be or occur; improbable; marked by doubt. 1
  • adjective unlikely holding little prospect of success; unpromising; likely to fail: He is an unlikely candidate for reelection. 1
  • adjective unlikely not ingratiating; objectionable. 1
  • adverb unlikely in an unlikely way. 1
  • adjective unlikely If you say that something is unlikely to happen or unlikely to be true, you believe that it will not happen or that it is not true, although you are not completely sure. 0
  • adjective unlikely not likely; improbable 0

Information block about the term

Origin of unlikely

First appearance:

before 1325
One of the 16% oldest English words
First recorded in 1325-75, unlikely is from the Middle English word unlikli. See un-1, likely

Historical Comparancy

Parts of speech for Unlikely

noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation

unlikely popularity

A common word. It’s meaning is known to most children of preschool age. About 87% of English native speakers know the meaning and use the word.
This word is included in each student's vocabulary. Most likely there is at least one movie with this word in the title.

unlikely usage trend in Literature

This diagram is provided by Google Ngram Viewer

Synonyms for unlikely

noun unlikely

  • doubtfulness — of uncertain outcome or result.
  • implausibility — not plausible; not having the appearance of truth or credibility: an implausible alibi.
  • implausibleness — The quality of being implausible.

adj unlikely

  • dubious — doubtful; marked by or occasioning doubt: a dubious reply.
  • fantastic — conceived or appearing as if conceived by an unrestrained imagination; odd and remarkable; bizarre; grotesque: fantastic rock formations; fantastic designs.
  • far-fetched — improbable; not naturally pertinent; being only remotely connected; forced; strained: He brought in a far-fetched example in an effort to prove his point.
  • farfetched — improbable; not naturally pertinent; being only remotely connected; forced; strained: He brought in a far-fetched example in an effort to prove his point.
  • few and far between — not many but more than one: Few artists live luxuriously.

adjective unlikely

  • doubtable — (uncommon) Capable of being doubted; doubtful; dubious; dubitable. See usage notes below.
  • doubtful — of uncertain outcome or result.
  • fanciful — characterized by or showing fancy; capricious or whimsical in appearance: a fanciful design of butterflies and flowers.
  • implausible — not plausible; not having the appearance of truth or credibility: an implausible alibi.
  • insupposable — Incapable of being supposed; inconceivable.

Antonyms for unlikely

adj unlikely

  • all there — having his or her wits about him or her; of normal intelligence
  • apt — An apt remark, description, or choice is especially suitable.
  • authentic — An authentic person, object, or emotion is genuine.
  • beatable — Someone who is beatable can be beaten.

adv unlikely

  • apparently — You use apparently to indicate that the information you are giving is something that you have heard, but you are not certain that it is true.
  • as likely as not — very probably
  • assumably — in a presumable manner
  • at all — You use at all at the end of a clause to give emphasis in negative statements, conditional clauses, and questions.
  • at first blush — when first seen; as a first impression

adjective unlikely

  • cincher — Something that cinches as in holds and fastens, such as a belt or corset.
  • conjecturable — Able to be conjectured upon.
  • conquerable — Capable of being conquered or subdued.
  • defendable — Capable of being defended.
  • eventual — Occurring at the end of or as a result of a series of events; final; ultimate.

adverb unlikely

  • evidently — Plainly or obviously; in a way that is clearly seen or understood.
  • expediently — In an expedient manner.
  • ostensibly — outwardly appearing as such; professed; pretended: an ostensible cheerfulness concealing sadness.

Top questions with unlikely

  • what does unlikely mean?
  • why are private companies unlikely to provide public goods?
  • what is the meaning of unlikely?
  • when is an atom unlikely to react?
  • what is the definition of unlikely?
  • why is a fusion reactor unlikely to explode?
  • why is life unlikely to exist on venus?

See also

Matching words

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