1. not likely to happen or be true; improbable
不太可能發生的；不像是真的；可能性低的
It's unlikely that it will rain tomorrow.
明天不太可能會下雨。
An unlikely story, but I believe him.
一個不太可信的故事，但我相信他。
Unlikely Meaning（定義、用法、例句與發音）
unlikely
adjective
快速理解
What does "Unlikely" mean?What are 2-3 core uses of "Unlikely"?
形容某事發生的可能性很低，或指某人或物不太可能具備某種特質。
- 1
可能性低
EN: not likely to happen; improbable
翻譯: 不太可能發生的；可能性低的
- 2
出乎意料
EN: surprising or unexpected
翻譯: 令人驚訝或出乎意料的
- 3
不像是真的
EN: not seeming to be true or believable
翻譯: 看起來不真實或難以置信的
- 4
不適合的候選
EN: not a suitable or probable candidate for something
翻譯: 不適合或不太可能成為某事的候選者
小提醒：注意：'unlikely' 是形容詞，常用來修飾名詞（如 an unlikely story），或與 'It is unlikely that...' 或 'be unlikely to...' 句型連用，表示可能性低。不要與 'impossible'（完全不可能）混淆。
發音（How to Pronounce "Unlikely" in English）
How to pronounce "Unlikely" in English?"Unlikely" US vs UK pronunciation
點擊下方的 US / UK 按鈕可播放發音。
Real-life Examples of "Unlikely" from YouTube Videos
Why are these 32 symbols found in caves all over Europe | Genevieve von Petzinger | TED
TED
“So, knowing all this, it seems highly unlikely that the geometric signs from Ice Age Europe were truly abstract written characters.”
(1 out of 17)
Definitions（定義）
What are the definitions of "Unlikely"?How does "Unlikely" change by context?
2. not expected to be suitable or successful
預期不適合或不成功的；不太可能成功的
He is an unlikely candidate for the job.
他是這份工作不太可能成功的候選人。
This seems an unlikely place to find a good restaurant.
這地方看起來不太可能找到好餐廳。
3. surprising or unexpected because of being unusual
因不尋常而令人驚訝或出乎意料的
They formed an unlikely friendship.
他們建立了一段令人意想不到的友誼。
The team's victory was an unlikely outcome.
這支隊伍的勝利是個出人意料的結果。
Grammar & Patterns（句型）
What are common sentence patterns for "Unlikely"?How to make natural sentences with "Unlikely"?
| Pattern | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| be unlikely to + V | 不太可能（做某事） | He is unlikely to arrive before noon. (他不太可能在中午前到達。) |
| It is unlikely that + clause | ...是不太可能的 | It is unlikely that the meeting will be canceled. (會議不太可能被取消。) |
| an unlikely + noun | 不太可能的（某事物） | Winning the lottery is an unlikely event. (贏得樂透是一件不太可能發生的事。) |
| seem unlikely | 看起來不太可能 | A peaceful solution seems unlikely at this point. (目前看來，和平解決方案似乎不太可能。) |
| highly / very unlikely | 極度/非常不可能 | It is highly unlikely that she forgot. (她忘記的可能性極低。) |
用法說明
How is "Unlikely" different from similar structures?What usage mistakes are common with "Unlikely"?
unlikely to do vs unlikely doing
- "unlikely to do" 是標準且最常見的用法，表示「不太可能去做某事」，描述未來發生的可能性低。
- "unlikely doing" 在文法上不正確，應避免使用。動名詞 (doing) 通常不直接跟在 "unlikely" 後面。
- 若要表達「某事（本身）不太可能發生」，可以使用 "It is unlikely that..." 的句型。
- 注意："would unlikely to + V" 也是錯誤的。正確的組合是 "would be unlikely to + V" 或 "is/are unlikely to + V"。 EN: It is unlikely to rain this afternoon. 翻譯: 今天下午不太可能下雨。
EN:He is unlikely to agree with our proposal.
翻譯:他不太可能同意我們的提案。
總結建議
在絕大多數情況下，使用 "unlikely to + 動詞原形" 來表達「不太可能做某事」即可。
易混淆對比
What is the difference between "Unlikely" and similar words?How to choose "Unlikely" vs alternatives?
unlikely vs improbable
兩者皆表示可能性低，但 'unlikely' 較為口語通用，'improbable' 則更正式且強調機率極低。
unlikely vs doubtful
'unlikely' 客觀描述可能性低，'doubtful' 則帶有主觀懷疑或不確定的語氣。
unlikely vs implausible
'unlikely' 指可能性低但仍可能發生，'implausible' 則指某事難以置信、不合邏輯，幾乎不可能。
口語用法
How is "Unlikely" used in spoken English?What is the spoken vs formal difference for "Unlikely"?
引述
在口語中，常用來引述或轉述一個聽起來不太可能或令人驚訝的訊息。 EN: He said it's unlikely to rain tomorrow, but I'm still taking my umbrella. 翻譯: 他說明天不太可能下雨，但我還是要帶傘。
EN:So they told us the delivery is unlikely to arrive on time. Typical.
翻譯:所以他們告訴我們，貨物不太可能準時送達。真是老樣子。
語氣強調
與其他詞語結合，用來加強「可能性極低」的語氣，有時帶有主觀懷疑或諷刺。 EN: That plan is highly unlikely to work, if you ask me. 翻譯: 要我說，那個計畫成功的可能性微乎其微。
EN:It's pretty unlikely she'll agree after what happened last time.
翻譯:發生了上次那件事之後，她同意的機率相當低。
停頓填充
在思考或組織語句時，用作停頓填充，緩和直接否定或拒絕的語氣，顯得較為禮貌。 EN: It's... unlikely that I can join you for dinner, sorry. 翻譯: 我…不太可能和你們一起吃晚餐，抱歉。
EN:Well, that outcome seems unlikely, but let's wait and see.
翻譯:嗯，那個結果看來不太可能，但我們還是等等看吧。
正式寫作注意：在正式或學術寫作中，應避免使用「pretty unlikely」、「It's... unlikely」等帶有口語停頓或主觀強調詞的結構，建議改用「highly improbable」、「it is improbable that」或「there is little likelihood that」等更正式、客觀的表述。
常見短語
What common collocations use "Unlikely"?What fixed phrases with "Unlikely" should I remember?
highly unlikely
adverb + unlikely
極不可能
seems unlikely
seems + unlikely
看起來不太可能
an unlikely candidate
unlikely + noun
不太可能的候選人；出乎意料的人選
in the unlikely event that
in the unlikely event that + clause
萬一（發生不太可能的事）
an unlikely story
unlikely + noun
令人難以置信的說法
most unlikely
superlative (most) + unlikely
最不可能的
unlikely to happen
unlikely to + verb
不太可能發生
an unlikely friendship
unlikely + noun
一段意想不到的友誼
常見錯誤
What are common mistakes with "Unlikely"?Which "Unlikely" sentences look correct but are wrong?
×He is unlikely to come tomorrow.
✓It is unlikely that he will come tomorrow.
當主詞是虛主詞 'it' 時，表示某件事發生的可能性低，比用人當主詞更自然。用 'He is unlikely...' 雖然文法正確，但較不自然，常用於較正式的書面語。
×This plan is unlikely success.
✓This plan is unlikely to succeed.
'unlikely' 是形容詞，後面不能直接接名詞。要表示「不太可能...」時，常用句型為 'be unlikely to + 動詞原形' 或 'It is unlikely that + 子句'。
×He is very unlikely to pass the exam.
✓He is highly unlikely to pass the exam.
修飾 'unlikely' 表示程度時，常用 'highly', 'extremely', 'most' 等副詞，而不是 'very'。'very unlikely' 雖然有時會用，但 'highly unlikely' 是更標準、更自然的搭配。
×I unlikely think he will come.
✓I think it is unlikely that he will come.
'unlikely' 是形容詞，不能當副詞修飾動詞 'think'。正確用法是將 'unlikely' 放在形容詞的位置，例如用 'it is unlikely that...' 的結構。
×This is an unlikely story to be true.
✓It is unlikely that this story is true.
用 'an unlikely story' 是指「一個聽起來不可信的故事」，強調故事本身的性质。若要表達「這個故事不太可能是真的」，應使用 'it is unlikely that...' 的句型來強調可能性。
詞形變化
What are the word forms of "Unlikely"?What are tense/participle forms of "Unlikely"?