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Ridiculous vs Unlikely - What's the difference?

ridiculous | unlikely |

As adjectives the difference between ridiculous and unlikely

is that ridiculous is deserving of ridicule; foolish; absurd while unlikely is not likely; improbable; not to be reasonably expected.

As an adverb unlikely is

in an improbable manner.

As a noun unlikely is

something or somebody considered unlikely.

ridiculous

English

Alternative forms

* (l) * (l)

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Deserving of ridicule; foolish; absurd.
  • That hairstyle looks ridiculous .
    It's ridiculous to charge so much for a little souvenir.

    Synonyms

    * silly * willy nilly * frivolous * goofy * funny * humorous * absurd * odd * surreal * unreasonable * See also

    Antonyms

    * straightforward * serious * somber * solemn

    Derived terms

    * ridic * ridiculousness

    unlikely

    English

    Adjective

    (en-adj)
  • Not likely; improbable; not to be reasonably expected.
  • It's very unlikely that you'll be able to walk perfectly after being in a cast for six months.
  • * 1895 , H. G. Wells, The Time Machine Chapter X
  • Now, I still think that for this box of matches to have escaped the wear of time for immemorial years was a strange, and for me, a most fortunate thing. Yet oddly enough I found here a far more unlikely substance, and that was camphor.
  • Not holding out a prospect of success; likely to fail; unpromising.
  • unlikely means

    Adverb

    (en adverb)
  • In an improbable manner.
  • Noun

    (unlikelies)
  • Something or somebody considered unlikely.
  • * 1980 , Robert K. Lindsay, Applications of artificial intelligence for organic chemistry
  • The molecular ion candidates are divided by the testing phase into three categories: rejects, unlikelies , and probables. Differences between each candidate and the prominent peaks in the spectrum are computed.
  • * 1996 , Laurie R. King, To Play the Fool
  • "Here is my every possible phone number, plus a few unlikelies . And I've also put down the numbers of Karin and Wade, in case you've lost them. Karin can come anytime; Wade, up until six in the morning."
  • * 2001 , Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Marci Shimoff, Chicken soup for the mother's soul 2 (page 166)
  • Then the most unlikely of unlikelies happened. We got another phone call. Another woman wanted to give us a baby—a boy, born just that morning. We walked into a hospital, and he was placed into my arms.

    References

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