improbable

improbable
adjective

Synonyms of improbable
: unlikely to be true or to occur
also : unlikely but real or true
improbability
(;)im-;pr;-b;-;bi-l;-t;
 noun
improbably
(;)im-;pr;-b;-bl;
-;pr;b-bl;
 adverb

Synonyms
doubtful
dubious
far-fetched
flimsy
questionable
unapt
unlikely
Examples of improbable in a Sentence
The team made an improbable comeback.
it seems improbable that the two writers never met since they traveled in the same social circles
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
But the show’s potential for improbable magic is all there, too.
—Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 19 Mar. 2025
Japanese production company King Records has achieved something close to that improbable scenario with the innovative musical anime feature Hypnosis Mic: Division Rap Battle, which the company says is the world’s first fully interactive theatrical film.
—Patrick Brzeski, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Mar. 2025
Then Maryland fell to No. 8 Michigan State in late February at the buzzer on an improbable half-court heave.
—Sam Cohn, Baltimore Sun, 17 Mar. 2025
Most of the fans at Wells Fargo Arena in Philadelphia rooted for Saint Peter’s, but North Carolina won, 69-49, ending the Peacocks’ improbable March.
—Tim Casey, Forbes, 16 Mar. 2025

Word History
Etymology
Middle French or Latin; Middle French, from Latin improbabilis, from in- + probabilis probable

First Known Use
1598, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of improbable was in 1598
See more words from the same year