unlikeliest
unlikeliest — 形容詞
- unlikeliestpositive
- more unlikeliestcomparative
- most unlikeliestsuperlative
1. The person, thing, or event among those being compared that has the smallest cha
最不可能的
發生或成立機會最小的
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.
在賽馬場上所有參賽的馬匹當中，最不可能獲勝的那匹，是大家從未聽聞過的一匹。
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.
Okonkwo 博士是最不可能獲得教學獎的人——他才剛到，經驗不足。
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.
一名三年來從未贏過比賽的跑者，成了全國田徑決賽中最不可能的冠軍。
This is the unlikeliest of success stories — a small bakery that became a national chain in three years.
這是最不可能的成功故事——一家小麵包店在三年內成為全國連鎖品牌。
Elena was the unlikeliest choice for manager, yet she became the best leader the office had ever had.
Elena 是最不可能被選為經理的人選，但她後來證明是辦公室有史以來最好的主管。
- 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
最意想不到的
與常理預期完全相反的
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.
這對夫婦與鄰居——一位養了三隻鸚鵡的退休馬戲團表演者——建立了最意想不到的友誼。
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.
美琳在清理祖母的衣櫃時，有了最意想不到的發現：一封著名詩人的信。
In a rainy city, the unlikeliest attraction was an outdoor solar-powered ice-skating rink.
在一個多雨的城市裡，最意想不到的景點竟是一座戶外太陽能溜冰場。
The two chefs came from different cooking traditions, yet their restaurant became the unlikeliest success story in the food industry.
兩位廚師來自不同的烹飪傳統，然而他們的餐廳卻成了餐飲業最意想不到的成功故事。
Amateur cyclists who had never trained together became the unlikeliest team to win the regional qualifier.
一群從未一起訓練過的業餘自行車手，成了區域資格賽中最意想不到的隊伍。
- 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
最難以置信的
最不像真話的；最離譜的
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.
在所有藉口中，Amina 的是最難以置信的：她的貓學會了鎖大門。
unlikeliest excuse — an implausible explanation
The unlikeliest part of the film was not the time travel but the hero forgetting his own wedding.
那部電影最難以置信的部分不是穿越時空，而是主角忘記了自己的婚禮。
Hassan told the unlikeliest story about landing in the wrong country, but the border officer believed none of it.
Hassan 講述了最難以置信的故事，說他跑到錯的國家去了，但邊境官員一個字也不相信。
The unlikeliest claim at the trial was that the defendant had never met the victim, despite dozens of shared photos.
審判中最難以置信的說法，是被告聲稱從未見過被害人，儘管有數十張兩人合照。
Raj gave the unlikeliest explanation for the missing cash: a bird flew in and carried it out through the window.
Raj 對那筆錢不見了給出了最難以置信的解釋：一隻鳥飛進來，從窗戶把錢叼走了。
- 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.