unlikely
unlikely Lexical Profile
unlikely Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Not likely to happen, be done, or be true; improbable.
"Given the clear skies, rain seems highly unlikely this afternoon."
Unexpected or uncharacteristic in a particular role, situation, or combination; unpromising.
"The quiet librarian became an unlikely hero during the town's flood relief efforts."
• adverb
In an improbable manner; with little likelihood.
"The fragile manuscript had unlikely survived three centuries in a damp attic."
Word Nuance & Usage
Although ending in '-ly', 'unlikely' functions primarily as an adjective rather than an adverb. Its use as a standalone adverb (as in 'he will unlikely succeed') is less common in formal prose, where writers generally prefer 'it is unlikely that he will succeed' or 'he is unlikely to succeed'.
• Rhymes for unlikely
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
First recorded in the 14th century as Middle English 'unlikli', formed by combining the prefix 'un-' with 'likely' (probably influenced by Old Norse 'uligr', meaning 'improbable').