likely 1 of 2

adjective

ˈlī-klē How to pronounce likely (audio)
Definition of likelynext
1
as in probable
having a high chance of occurring if you don't graduate from high school, your likely fate is a low-paying job

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in promising
having qualities which inspire hope this looks like a likely spot for good trout fishing

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in plausible
worthy of being accepted as true or reasonable we didn't find her excuse a very likely story

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in pretty
very pleasing to look at a likely gal such as yourself should have no trouble getting a date

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

likely

2 of 2

adverb

as in probably
by reasonable assumption the picnic will likely be cancelled if the storm continues

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of likely
Adjective
From now until Election Day, at least $700 million in advertising reservations are planned, according to AdImpact, and the number is likely to rise in the final sprint. — Stephen Fowler, NPR, 20 Oct. 2026 Almost half of all beach cliffs are likely to retreat by 30 to 80 feet by 2100. — Blanca Begert, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2026
Adverb
Had the band come about during one of Dangerfield’s favorite eras of music, the ’50s and ’60s — there would likely have been rooms in which they weren’t welcomed. — Christine Terrisse, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2026 The coins were found scattered across an area measuring roughly 19 feet by 5 feet — likely a result of plowing. — Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 21 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for likely
Recent Examples of Synonyms for likely
  1. probable
  2. promising
  3. plausible
  4. pretty
  5. probably
  6. possible
  7. bright
  8. credible
Adjective
  • When a conjunction is probable, SSA/STC service providers alert the operators involved, who then decide whether to undertake a collision-avoidance maneuver.
    — David Zamora, Space.com, 23 Oct. 2026
  • The former will undoubtedly be supplied by Jacob Misiorowski, the Brewers’ 24-year-old flame-throwing phenom and probable Cy Young Award winner.
    — Hannah Keyser, CNN Money, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of probable
Adjective
  • According to the team, lab tests have already shown promising results.
    — Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Monday morning is not exactly prime time for dealership traffic, but a handful of prospective customers were in the showroom, which is a promising sign.
    — Eric Bangeman, ArsTechnica, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of promising
Adjective
  • The shouts of rejection came in part because there was a plausible scenario under which James would have opened the season at Madison Square Garden in a Knicks uniform.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Three plausible developments are worth tracking, and each comes with something a reader can actually do.
    — Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of plausible
Adjective
  • The arrival, by black car transfer from the Honolulu airport to a private airport and then a quick flight on a private jet, is pretty swank.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Think Pink For brides looking for an alternative color to the classic white wedding dress, the fall 2027 season’s answer comes through ample designs in pretty shades of pink.
    — Emily Mercer, Footwear News, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of pretty
Adverb
  • So the theoretical maximum is 256 ESSMs rather than 64 missiles, although a practical loadout would probably mix missile types.
    — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2026
  • The overall answer probably won't surprise you, but the nitty-gritty details might.
    — Joe Osborne, PC Magazine, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of probably
Adjective
  • There was palpable excitement, especially after Barringer noted that national Democrats had put the seat on a list of ones to watch for a possible upset.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026
  • The embassy said in a statement Monday that partial curfews had been introduced in several French cities, with additional restrictions possible.
    — Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of possible
Adjective
  • An exuberant pre-dawn sky — filled with large, bright stars, a luminous crescent moon, and blue and white swirls — dominates the landscape featuring a prominent cypress tree and distant hillside village.
    — Amarachi Orie, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2026
  • But the only picture mode that comes close to being that bright also has a notably green bias and ramps up the fan noise to a level that almost anyone will consider intolerable.
    — M. David Stone, PC Magazine, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of bright
Adjective
  • Companies that can demonstrate credible management of environmental and social risks can have access to (better) financing than competitors.
    — Ben Vanpeperstraete, Footwear News, 23 Oct. 2026
  • That familiarity can make a fraudulent request sound credible.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of credible

Browse Nearby Words

likelihood
likely
liken
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Cite this Entry

“Likely.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/likely. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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