Word
improbable
Phoneticsim·prob·a·ble, stress on the second syllable
US/ˌɪmˈpɹɑbəbəɫ/
UK/ɪmpɹˈɒbəbəl/
Definition
adj. not likely to happen or be true. You use this when something is possible but very surprising or hard to believe.
adj. unlikely to occur or be true; lacking a high degree of probability. Often used to describe events or explanations that seem far-fetched despite being possible.
Examples
“It is highly improbable that it will snow in July.”
“The detective found the suspect's story highly improbable, as it relied on too many coincidences.”
“The team's victory was an improbable outcome given their significant injuries and the strength of the opposing side, yet they managed a narrow win in the final minutes.”
Examples
simple
“It is highly improbable that it will snow in July.”
contextual
“The detective found the suspect's story highly improbable, as it relied on too many coincidences.”
complex
“The team's victory was an improbable outcome given their significant injuries and the strength of the opposing side, yet they managed a narrow win in the final minutes.”
Usage
Often modified by degree adverbs like 'highly', 'extremely', or 'utterly'.
Real-World Examples
“But when, in a stroke of fortune so improbable that even now it hardly seems real, her daughter, Raine, became Diana Spencer’s stepmother, Cartland sensed new opportunities for cross-pollination.” “Some particularly improbable accounts claimed that African American mothers rented out their babies to hunters seeking to attract the reptiles.” “But it was a recording made at another Mississippi stop during those 1959 travels that would, much later, have perhaps the most improbable afterlife of all.” Etymology
Borrowed from Latin improbābilis. By surface analysis, im- + probable.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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