improbable

B2 Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ɪmˈpɹɑbəbl̩/ UK /ɪmˈpɹɒbəbl̩/ See IPA manual

Freq #21768

Meanings

1

adj
Not likely to happen or to be true.

It is improbable that we will finish on time without more help.
2

adj
So strange or unlikely that it is hard to believe.

The film tells the improbable story of a cat that saves a town.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · not likely to happen or to... unlikely

2 adj · so strange or unlikely that... unconvincing

Opposites

probable

Word family

Derived forms improbabilityimprobablenessimprobablysuperimprobable

Related forms impossible probability probably

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

improbable event
Something that has a low chance of happening.

Adjective + noun

Proverbs (1)

See all

When you have excluded the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin improbābilis. By surface analysis, im- + probable.

improbābilis Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities

External links

# improbable

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B2
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /ɪmˈpɹɑbəbl̩/
**IPA (UK):** /ɪmˈpɹɒbəbl̩/
**Frequency rank:** 21768

## Meanings
1. Not likely to happen or to be true.
2. So strange or unlikely that it is hard to believe.

## Examples
- It is improbable that we will finish on time without more help.
- The film tells the improbable story of a cat that saves a town.

## Antonyms
- probable

## Derived Forms
- improbability
- improbableness
- improbably
- superimprobable

## Related Forms
- impossible
- probability
- probably

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: improbābilis

## Etymology
Borrowed from Latin improbābilis. By surface analysis, im- + probable.

## AI Etymology
Improbable is borrowed from Latin improbābilis. By surface analysis, im- + probable. The analysis is mainly morphological: the modern adjectival form is built from the named elements. In current use, the main senses are “Not likely to happen or to be true” and “So strange or unlikely that it is hard to believe”.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities

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