unlikeliest
unlikeliest — adjective
- unlikeliestpositive
- more unlikeliestcomparative
- most unlikeliestsuperlative
1. The person, thing, or event among those being compared that has the smallest cha
The person, thing, or event among those being compared that has the smallest chance of happening or being true.
Of all the horses in the race, the unlikeliest winner was the one nobody had heard of.
unlikeliest + noun describing an improbable member of a group
Dr. Okonkwo was the unlikeliest person to win the teaching award, being new and short on experience.
unlikeliest + person + to-infinitive — improbable candidate for a role
A runner with no wins in three years became the unlikeliest champion at the national track final.
This is the unlikeliest of success stories — a small bakery that became a national chain in three years.
Elena was the unlikeliest choice for manager, yet she became the best leader the office had ever had.
- most improbable
the standard alternative form; 'most improbable' is more formal than 'unlikeliest'
- least plausible
focuses on the argument or explanation seeming reasonable, rather than a general event
- most doubtful
emphasises a lack of confidence rather than pure probability
- likeliest
the direct opposite — having the greatest chance
- most probable
formal opposite; the most likely to happen or be true
文法句型
the unlikeliest + noun
the unlikeliest + noun + to-infinitive
the unlikeliest of + plural noun
用法筆記
Always used with 'the' because it is a superlative form. The basic positive form is 'unlikely'. The comparative is 'unlikelier'. When comparing more than two items, 'unlikeliest' is the natural superlative, though 'least likely' is also common and may sound more natural in formal writing.
常見錯誤
2. The most surprising and unusual in a way that does not match what people would n
The most surprising and unusual in a way that does not match what people would normally expect in a particular setting or situation.
The couple formed the unlikeliest friendship with their neighbour, a retired circus performer who kept three parrots.
unlikeliest friendship — an unexpected bond in an unusual pairing
Mei-Lin made the unlikeliest discovery while cleaning her grandmother's wardrobe: a letter from a famous poet.
In a rainy city, the unlikeliest attraction was an outdoor solar-powered ice-skating rink.
The two chefs came from different cooking traditions, yet their restaurant became the unlikeliest success story in the food industry.
Amateur cyclists who had never trained together became the unlikeliest team to win the regional qualifier.
- most surprising
direct synonym; focuses on the element of surprise
- most unexpected
very close in meaning; slightly more neutral in tone
- most unlikely
can overlap with sense 2 when describing surprising real events
- most predictable
the opposite of surprising — exactly what one would expect
- most typical
the opposite of unusual — fitting the expected pattern
文法句型
the unlikeliest + noun
the unlikeliest of + plural noun
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1 (MOST IMPROBABLE): sense 1 is about low probability of an event occurring; sense 2 is about something that actually happened but contradicts what one would normally expect based on the context. The focus is on surprise and contradiction, not on chance. Diagnostic test: if 'least probable' fits naturally, use sense 1. If 'most surprising' or 'most unexpected' reads more naturally than 'least probable', use sense 2.
常見錯誤
3. The most difficult to believe or accept as true — used about a story, claim, exc
The most difficult to believe or accept as true — used about a story, claim, excuse, or explanation that sounds extremely doubtful or dishonest.
Of all the excuses, Amina's was the unlikeliest: her cat had learned to lock the front door.
unlikeliest excuse — an implausible explanation
The unlikeliest part of the film was not the time travel but the hero forgetting his own wedding.
Hassan told the unlikeliest story about landing in the wrong country, but the border officer believed none of it.
The unlikeliest claim at the trial was that the defendant had never met the victim, despite dozens of shared photos.
Raj gave the unlikeliest explanation for the missing cash: a bird flew in and carried it out through the window.
- most far-fetched
stronger, more informal — suggests the story is exaggerated to the point of absurdity
- most implausible
more formal; used when an argument or explanation lacks logical reasonableness
- most incredible
can mean 'amazing' as well as 'hard to believe', so context-dependent
- most believable
the direct opposite — easiest to accept as true
- most credible
formal alternative; worthy of being believed
文法句型
the unlikeliest + noun (story, claim, excuse, explanation)
the unlikeliest + noun about + noun phrase
用法筆記
This sense is about the perceived truthfulness of a statement or claim, not about the probability of an event. A story can be 'unlikeliest' in this sense even if the events it describes are technically possible — the focus is on whether the listener finds it credible. Diagnostic test: sense 1 asks 'how likely was it to happen?'; sense 3 asks 'how believable does the claim sound?'. If the sentence sounds odd with 'least probable' substituted, it is likely sense 3.