unwahrscheinlich
unlikely
Not very likely; something whose occurrence or truth one doubts; improbable.
EXAMPLE
Es ist höchst unwahrscheinlich, dass wir im Lotto gewinnen.
It is highly unlikely that we will win the lottery.
unwahrscheinlich
unlikely
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Meanings
unwahrscheinlich
incredibly
Used colloquially as an intensifier in the sense of 'extraordinarily' or 'incredibly'.
EXAMPLE
Dieser Kuchen schmeckt unwahrscheinlich gut!
This cake tastes incredibly good!
Usage tips
Word structure
The word is made up of 'un-' (not), 'wahr' (true), and 'scheinlich' (derived from 'scheinen'—to seem). Something that is 'unwahrscheinlich' (unlikely) therefore 'seems' 'not true' or not plausible.
EXAMPLE
Ein Sieg unserer Mannschaft scheint nach der ersten Halbzeit unwahrscheinlich.
A victory for our team seems unlikely after the first half.
Context clue
The meaning depends strongly on the context. In neutral or formal sentences, it means 'unlikely'. In colloquial speech, especially before a positive adjective, it is used as an intensifier in the sense of 'unglaublich' (incredibly) or 'extrem' (extremely).
EXAMPLE
Ein Lottogewinn ist statistisch sehr unwahrscheinlich.
A lottery win is statistically very unlikely.
Sentence structure with 'dass'
To express low probability, the structure 'Es ist unwahrscheinlich, dass ...' (It is unlikely that ...) is often used. The subordinate clause with 'dass' then describes the event that is unlikely.
EXAMPLE
Es ist unwahrscheinlich, dass er pünktlich kommt.
It is unlikely that he will arrive on time.
Colloquial intensifier
In spoken language, 'unwahrscheinlich' (incredibly) often functions as an intensifier for positive qualities. This use is informal and expresses great amazement or enthusiasm.
EXAMPLE
Ich habe gestern einen unwahrscheinlich lustigen Film gesehen.
Yesterday I saw an incredibly funny film.
Compare with
unwahrscheinlich vs unglaublich
incredible
When describing an extraordinary coincidence, both unglaublich and unwahrscheinlich can work. Unglaublich mainly expresses amazement about it, while unwahrscheinlich emphasizes the low probability or doubts about whether it is true.
unwahrscheinlich
Es ist unwahrscheinlich, dass wir uns nach zwanzig Jahren zufällig wieder treffen.
It is unlikely that we will happen to meet again after twenty years.
unglaublich
Es ist unglaublich, dass wir uns nach zwanzig Jahren zufällig wiedergetroffen haben.
It is incredible that we happened to meet again after twenty years.
In real life
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