very unlikely

USAGE SUMMARY

"very unlikely" is correct and can be used in written English.
You can use it when you are expressing doubt about the probability of something happening. For example: "It is very unlikely that I will be able to attend the event this weekend."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

60 human-written examples

For likelihood, right-hand column indicates responses for each category on a 5-point Likert-like scale ranging from "very unlikely" to "very likely".

Emerging Infectious Diseases

The perceived outcomes were measured on a 5-point Likert scale, which ranged from "very unlikely" to "very likely".

BMC Women's Health

After reading the vignette and brochure, participants reported how likely it was that they would choose DMD NBS (4-point Likert scale; "Very Unlikely" to "Very Likely").

BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making

Respondents are asked to rate the likelihood that certain issues/problems occur on a 9-point scale from very unlikely to very likely.

BMC Cancer

Response options were generally either Yes/No or a 5-point Likert-type scale (e.g., ranging from very unlikely to very likely).

Emerging Infectious Diseases

Finally, directors were asked about barriers to such changes, as well as the support that they would receive from the students and the administration (rated on a five-point Likert scale ranging from very unlikely to very likely).

BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine

For each selected patient with unexpected death, charts were examined for medical errors and rated on a 1 to 5 preventability scale (from very unlikely to very likely) for the preventability of the death.

Critical Care

According to these PCT cutoff ranges, bacterial etiology was considered very unlikely, unlikely, likely, and very likely, respectively [10].

Annals of Intensive Care

According to these PCT cutoff ranges, bacterial etiology was considered very unlikely, unlikely, likely, and very likely, respectively [ 10].

Annals of Intensive Care

On a scale of (1) Very unlikely to (4) Very likely, an average rating of 2.9/4 indicated that students were somewhat likely to pursue a STEM career.

International Journal of STEM Education

The "...how likely... .......... stem had a response range from 1 (very unlikely) to 7 (very likely).

BMC Public Health

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "very unlikely" to express a strong degree of doubt or improbability. It's suitable when you want to clearly convey that something is not expected to happen.

Common error

Avoid using "very unlikely" when you mean absolutely impossible. The phrase still allows for a slight chance, so choose stronger terms like "impossible" or "certainly not" if there's no possibility at all.

Linguistic Context

"Very unlikely" functions as an adjective phrase used to modify nouns or pronouns, indicating a low probability or strong doubt about the likelihood of something occurring. Ludwig AI confirms its proper usage in expressing doubt.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

35%

News & Media

30%

Formal & Business

15%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

10%

Reference

5%

Wiki

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "very unlikely" is a grammatically sound and frequently used adjective phrase to express a strong sense of improbability. As Ludwig AI confirms, this phrase is correct and effective for conveying doubt or skepticism. It finds application across diverse contexts, from scientific literature to news reporting, and everyday discourse. When employing this phrase, be mindful of its nuanced meaning, distinguishing it from absolute certainty and tailoring its use to suit the specific context.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

highly improbable

Emphasizes a strong degree of improbability.

extremely doubtful

Focuses on the uncertainty and lack of confidence in an event occurring.

scarcely possible

Suggests that something is technically possible but almost not so.

hardly conceivable

Indicates that something is difficult to imagine or believe.

not a chance

An informal expression indicating no possibility at all.

against all odds

Suggests that something is unlikely to happen given the circumstances.

slim chance

Implies a very small possibility of something happening.

remote possibility

Indicates that something is possible but not very probable.

next to impossible

Highlights that something is nearly impossible.

not in the cards

An idiomatic expression meaning something is not destined to happen.

FAQs

How can I use "very unlikely" in a sentence?

You can use "very unlikely" to express a strong degree of doubt about a future event or possibility. For example, "It's very unlikely that the meeting will start on time."

What are some alternatives to saying "very unlikely"?

You can use alternatives like "highly improbable", "extremely doubtful", or "scarcely possible" depending on the context.

Is it grammatically correct to say "very unlikely"?

Yes, "very unlikely" is grammatically correct. The word "very" is an adverb that modifies the adjective "unlikely" to intensify its meaning.

What's the difference between "unlikely" and "very unlikely"?

"Unlikely" suggests that something probably won't happen, while "very unlikely" indicates a much stronger degree of improbability. The addition of "very" emphasizes the low probability.