unlikely


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un·like·ly

 (ŭn-līk′lē)
adj. un·like·li·er, un·like·li·est
1. Not likely; improbable.
2. Not promising; likely to fail.

un·like′li·ness n.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

unlikely

(ʌnˈlaɪklɪ)
adj
not likely; improbable
unˈlikeliness, unˈlikelihood n
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

un•like•ly

(ʌnˈlaɪk li)

adj. , -li•er, -li•est,
adv. adj.
1. not likely to be or occur; improbable; doubtful.
2. holding little prospect of success; unpromising.
adv.
3. in an unlikely way.
[1325–75]
un•like′li•hood`, n.
un•like′li•ness, n.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Adj.1.unlikely - not likely to be true or to occur or to have occurredunlikely - not likely to be true or to occur or to have occurred; "legislation on the question is highly unlikely"; "an improbable event"
2.unlikely - has little chance of being the case or coming aboutunlikely - 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"
likely - has a good chance of being the case or of coming about; "these services are likely to be available to us all before long"; "she is likely to forget"; "a likely place for a restaurant"; "the broken limb is likely to fall"; "rain is likely"; "a likely topic for investigation"; "likely candidates for the job"
3.unlikely - having a probability too low to inspire belief
implausible - having a quality that provokes disbelief; "gave the teacher an implausible excuse"
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

unlikely

adjective
2. unbelievable, incredible, unconvincing, implausible, questionable, cock-and-bull (informal) I smiled sincerely, to encourage him to buy this unlikely story.
unbelievable possible, plausible, feasible, likely, reasonable, credible, believable
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

unlikely

adjective
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
غَيْرُ مُحْتَمَلغَيْر مُحْتَمَل
nepravděpodobný
usandsynlignæppe
epätodennäköinenepätodennäköisesti
malo vjerojatan
nem valószínű
ólíklegur
ありそうもない
있을 법하지 않은
vargu ar galimas
nedomājamsneiespējamsneticams
malo verjeten
osannolik
ไม่น่าจะเกิดขึ้น
olası olmayanolasılık dışı
không chắc sẽ xảy ra

unlikely

[ʌnˈlaɪklɪ] ADJ (unlikelier (compar) (unlikeliest (superl)))
1. (= improbable) → poco probable, improbable
it is most unlikelyes muy poco probable
he is an unlikely candidate for promotionno tiene muchas probabilidades de que lo asciendan
it is unlikely that he will come; he is unlikely to comees poco probable que venga, no es probable que venga
he's unlikely to survivetiene pocas posibilidades de sobrevivir, es poco probable que sobreviva
in the unlikely event that we winen el caso improbable de que ganáramos, en el caso de que ganáramos, lo cual es poco probable
2. (= implausible) [explanation, excuse] → inverosímil, increíble
that sounds an unlikely storyme parece una historia inverosímil
3. (= odd) → insólito, extraño
he and Paula made an unlikely couple or pairél y Paula hacían una pareja insólita or extraña
they turn up in the most unlikely placesaparecen en los lugares más insospechados or extraños
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

unlikely

[ʌnˈlaɪkli] adj
(= not probable) [circumstances] → invraisemblable, peu plausible; [event, result] → peu probable
It's possible, but unlikely → C'est possible, mais peu probable.
it is unlikely that ... → il est peu probable que ...
to be unlikely to do sth
He is unlikely to win → Il est peu probable qu'il gagne., Il a peu de chances de gagner.
That is unlikely to happen → Ça ne risque pas d'arriver.
The dispute is unlikely to be settled for a long time → Il est peu probable qu'on parvienne à régler le conflit rapidement.
in the unlikely event that ... → dans le cas fort peu probable où ...
in the unlikely event of ...
in the unlikely event of a nuclear attack → dans le cas exceptionnel d'une attaque nucléaire
in the unlikely event of anything going wrong → dans le cas peu probablequelque chose irait mal
(= strange) [combination, sight, places] → invraisemblable
(= hard to believe) [explanation] → invraisemblable
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

unlikely

adj (+er)unwahrscheinlich; explanation alsounglaubwürdig; (= odd also) clothesmerkwürdig, komisch; friendshipmerkwürdig; candidateunpassend; it is (most) unlikely/not unlikely that …es ist (höchst) unwahrscheinlich/es kann durchaus sein, dass …; she is unlikely to comesie kommt höchstwahrscheinlich nicht; it looks an unlikely place for mushroomses sieht mir nicht nach der geeigneten Stelle für Pilze aus; they are such an unlikely couplesie sind ein so merkwürdiges Paar; he’s an unlikely choiceseine Wahl ist sehr unwahrscheinlich; he’s unlikely to be chosenes ist unwahrscheinlich, dass er gewählt wird; in the unlikely event that …im unwahrscheinlichen Fall, dass …; in the unlikely event of warim unwahrscheinlichen Fall eines Krieges
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

unlikely

[ʌnˈlaɪklɪ] adj (-ier (comp) (-iest (superl))) (happening) → improbabile; (explanation) → inverosimile
in the unlikely event that it does happen ... → dovesse succedere, cosa assai improbabile...
it is unlikely that he will come, he is unlikely to come → è poco probabile che venga
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

unlikely

(anˈlaikli) adjective
not likely or probable. an unlikely explanation for his absence; She's unlikely to arrive before 7.00 p.m.; It is unlikely that she will come.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.

unlikely

غَيْرُ مُحْتَمَل nepravděpodobný usandsynlig unwahrscheinlich απίθανος improbable epätodennäköinen improbable malo vjerojatan improbabile ありそうもない 있을 법하지 않은 onwaarschijnlijk usannsynlig nieprawdopodobny improvável маловероятный osannolik ไม่น่าจะเกิดขึ้น olasılık dışı không chắc sẽ xảy ra 不太可能的
Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009

unlikely

a. improbable, dudoso-a, incierto-a.
English-Spanish Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012
References in classic literature ?
In this way, seeing everything with the utmost vividness, as if he were a spectator of the action, he will discover what is in keeping with it, and be most unlikely to overlook inconsistencies.
Its real splendours, however, came from the most unlikely place in the world--from Otto's cowboy trunk.
But it seems unlikely that man should be able to adjust that which the law cannot determine; it may be replied, that the law having laid down the best rules possible, leaves the adjustment and application of particulars to the discretion of the magistrate; besides, it allows anything to be altered which experience proves may be better established.
But she is naturally a more irritable constitution than the black horse; flies tease her more; anything wrong in the harness frets her more; and if she were ill-used or unfairly treated she would not be unlikely to give tit for tat.
His enticing suggestions I used to repel modestly by the assurance that it was extremely unlikely, as I had not enough experience.
Exiles notoriously feed much on hopes, and are unlikely to stay in banishment unless they are obliged.
It seemed, therefore, not unlikely that such a person should succeed with a lady of so saint-like a disposition, and whose inclinations were no otherwise engaged than to the marriage state in general; but why the doctor, who certainly had no great friendship for his brother, should for his sake think of making so ill a return to the hospitality of Allworthy, is a matter not so easy to be accounted for.
It needed that Monsieur Robert Darzac himself should not deny this matrimonial rumour to give it an appearance of truth, so unlikely did it seem to be well founded.
It was most unlikely, therefore, that he should ever want his father's assistance.
One other short call in Harley Street, in which Elinor received her brother's congratulations on their travelling so far towards Barton without any expense, and on Colonel Brandon's being to follow them to Cleveland in a day or two, completed the intercourse of the brother and sisters in town;--and a faint invitation from Fanny, to come to Norland whenever it should happen to be in their way, which of all things was the most unlikely to occur, with a more warm, though less public, assurance, from John to Elinor, of the promptitude with which he should come to see her at Delaford, was all that foretold any meeting in the country.
'A very unlikely hour to be troubling people, and the instant they have returned from a long journey.
washed from within by a constant radiancy of pure thoughts, and from without by a constant basking in the shine of every beautiful and noble and tender thing,--I thought it not unlikely that he might fulfil his dream.