Likely — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective adverb /ˈlī-klē/ like·ly

Meaning & Definition of Likely

Likely (adjective)

  1. having a high probability of occurring or being true, very probable
  2. apparently qualified, suitable
  3. reliable, credible

Likely (adverb)

  1. in all probability, probably

Likely (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. having a high chance of occurring

    "if you don't graduate from high school, your likely fate is a low-paying job"

    similar: probable
    related: conceivable, earthly, imaginable, possible, potential, supposable, apt, bound, certain, doubtless, imminent, inescapable, inevitable, liable, necessary, sure, unavoidable
    opposite: doubtful, dubious, improbable, questionable, unlikely
    near: impossible, inconceivable, unimaginable

  2. having qualities which inspire hope

    "this looks like a likely spot for good trout fishing"

    similar: auspicious, bright, encouraging, fair, golden, heartening, hopeful, optimistic, promising, propitious, rose-colored, roseate, rosy, upbeat
    related: cheering, comforting, reassuring, soothing, assured, confident, decisive, doubtless, positive, sure, unhesitating, beamish, bullish, eupeptic, favorable, good
    opposite: bleak, dark, depressing, desperate, discouraging, disheartening, dismal, downbeat, dreary, gloomy, hopeless, inauspicious, pessimistic, unencouraging, unlikely, unpromising, unpropitious
    near: cheerless, comfortless, doubtful, dubious, uncertain, bearish, grim, negative, unfavorable, funereal, glum, gray, miserable, wretched

  3. worthy of being accepted as true or reasonable

    "we didn't find her excuse a very likely story"

    similar: believable, credible, creditable, plausible, presumptive, probable
    related: cogent, compelling, conclusive, convincing, decisive, effective, forceful, persuasive, satisfying, strong, telling, acceptable, cogitable, conceivable, imaginable, possible, practical, reasonable, dependable, reliable, trustworthy, sophistic, specious
    opposite: far-fetched, implausible, improbable, incredible, unbelievable, unlikely, unplausible
    near: absurd, doubtful, dubious, fantastic, flimsy, outlandish, preposterous, questionable, ridiculous, impossible, inconceivable, unimaginable, unthinkable, skeptical, suspect, suspicious, uncertain, unsure, hopeless, unworkable, useless

  4. very pleasing to look at

    "a likely gal such as yourself should have no trouble getting a date"

    similar: aesthetic, attractive, beauteous, beautiful, bonny (chiefly British), comely, cute, drop-dead, fair, fetching, good, good-looking, goodly, gorgeous, handsome, knockout, lovely, lovesome, pretty, ravishing, seemly, sightly, stunning, taking, well-favored
    related: alluring, appealing, charming, cunning, delightful, engaging, fascinating, glamorous, prepossessing, elegant, exquisite, glorious, Junoesque, magnificent, resplendent, splendid, statuesque, sublime, superb, flawless, perfect, radiant, dainty, delicate, personable, pleasant, presentable, chocolate-box, prettyish, desirable, dishy, dollish, foxy, hot, luscious, nubile, pulchritudinous, seductive, sexy, toothsome, hunky, studly (slang), arresting, eye-catching, flamboyant, flashy, glossy, showstopping, showy, slick, snazzy, splashy, striking, zingy, photogenic, telegenic
    opposite: grotesque, hideous, homely, ill-favored, plain, ugly, unaesthetic, unattractive, unbeautiful, uncomely, uncute, unhandsome, unlovely, unpleasing, unpretty, unsightly
    near: abhorrent, abominable, bad, disagreeable, disgusting, dreadful, foul, frightful, ghastly, horrible, loathsome, nasty, nauseating, objectionable, offensive, repellent, repugnant, repulsive, revolting, shocking, sickening, terrible, vile, unappealing, unappetizing, unimposing, unpleasant, unprepossessing, frumpish, frumpy, unbecoming, unshapely

Likely (adverb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. by reasonable assumption

    "the picnic will likely be cancelled if the storm continues"

    similar: assumably, doubtless, presumably, probably, as like as not
    related: maybe, mayhap, perchance, perhaps, possibly, conceivably, imaginably, plausibly, practically, reasonably, potentially, assuredly, certainly, clearly, conclusively, decisively, definitely, definitively, indisputably, indubitably, positively, really, surely, truly, undeniably, undoubtedly, unquestionably, presumedly, supposably, supposedly
    opposite: improbably
    near: implausibly, inconceivably, incredibly, unbelievably, unthinkably

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Likely

The most common words with a similar meaning to Likely:

Chiefly British: bonny
probable, auspicious, bright, encouraging, fair, golden, heartening, hopeful, optimistic, promising, propitious, rose-colored, roseate, rosy, upbeat, believable, credible, creditable, plausible, presumptive, aesthetic, attractive, beauteous, beautiful, comely, cute, drop-dead, fetching, good, good-looking, goodly, gorgeous, handsome, knockout, lovely, lovesome, pretty, ravishing, seemly, sightly

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Likely

Words with the opposite meaning of Likely:

doubtful, dubious, improbable, questionable, unlikely, bleak, dark, depressing, desperate, discouraging, disheartening, dismal, downbeat, dreary, gloomy, hopeless, inauspicious, pessimistic, unencouraging, unpromising, unpropitious, far-fetched, implausible, incredible, unbelievable, unplausible, grotesque, hideous, homely, ill-favored

Related Words for Likely

conceivable, earthly, imaginable, possible, potential, supposable, apt, bound, certain, imminent, inescapable, inevitable, liable, necessary, sure, unavoidable, cheering, comforting, reassuring, soothing, assured, confident, decisive, positive, unhesitating, beamish, bullish, eupeptic, favorable, cogent

Near Antonyms of Likely

impossible, inconceivable, unimaginable, cheerless, comfortless, uncertain, bearish, grim, negative, unfavorable, funereal, glum, gray, miserable, wretched, absurd, fantastic, flimsy, outlandish, preposterous, ridiculous, unthinkable, skeptical, suspect, suspicious, unsure, unworkable, useless, abhorrent, abominable

Word Forms of Likely

Inflections: likelier, likeliest

Origin & Etymology of Likely

Middle English, from Old English gelīclic fitting (from gelīc like) and Old Norse glīkligr, līkligr, from glīkr like; akin to Old English gelīc

First known use: 14th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Likely

Words & Phrases Containing Likely

likely-looking, more than likely, most likely, not likely, not bloody likely!

Frequently Asked Questions about Likely

What does "Likely" mean?

"Likely" means having a high probability of occurring or being true, very probable. As an an adjective and an adverb, it is defined as: having a high probability of occurring or being true, very probable. It has 5 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Likely"?

Other words for "Likely" include probable, auspicious, bright, encouraging, fair, golden, heartening and hopeful. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Likely" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Likely"?

There are 183 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Likely". Common alternatives include probable, auspicious, bright, encouraging, fair, golden, heartening, hopeful, optimistic and promising.

What is the opposite of "Likely"?

Antonyms of "Likely" include doubtful, dubious, improbable, questionable, unlikely, bleak, dark and depressing. Near antonyms include impossible, inconceivable, unimaginable and cheerless.

How do you use "Likely" in a sentence?

Examples of "Likely" in a sentence: "if you don't graduate from high school, your likely fate is a low-paying job"; "this looks like a likely spot for good trout fishing"; "we didn't find her excuse a very likely story".

Is "Likely" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Likely" can be used as an adjective and an adverb, depending on the context.

Is "Likely" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As an A2-level word, "Likely" is typical of Cambridge A2 Key (KET), PTE Academic 30–42, TOEIC Listening & Reading 225+.

How do you pronounce "Likely"?

"Likely" is pronounced /ˈlī-klē/ and divided into syllables as like·ly.