unlikely

adjective

1. 1

   Not likely; improbable; not to be reasonably expected.

   It is pretty unlikely that you'll win, but I will pray that at least you do well.

   In the highly unlikely event of landing in water, lifejackets are stored under the seat.

   Now, I still think that for this box of matches to have escaped the wear of time for immemorial years was a strange, and for me, a most fortunate thing. Yet oddly enough I found here a far more unlikely substance, and that was camphor.

   The Saturday evening Cardiff-West Wales mail train is still steam-worked, but a most unlikely locomotive used on May 23 was Stanier Class 5 4-6-0 No. 45250 (5A); it returned on May 25 with a train of steel billets.

2. 2

   Not holding out a prospect of success; likely to fail; unpromising.

   unlikely means

adverb

1. 1

   In an improbable manner.

noun

1. 1

   Something or somebody considered unlikely.

   The molecular ion candidates are divided by the testing phase into three categories: rejects, unlikelies, and probables. Differences between each candidate and the prominent peaks in the spectrum are computed.

   "Here is my every possible phone number, plus a few unlikelies. And I've also put down the numbers of Karin and Wade, in case you've lost them. Karin can come anytime; Wade, up until six in the morning."

   Then the most unlikely of unlikelies happened. We got another phone call. Another woman wanted to give us a baby—a boy, born just that morning. We walked into a hospital, and he was placed into my arms.

Forms

plural

unlikelies

comparative

unlikelier, more unlikely

superlative

unlikeliest, most unlikely