Unlikely vs Maybe - What's the difference?
unlikely | maybe |
Not likely; improbable; not to be reasonably expected.
* 1895 , H. G. Wells, The Time Machine Chapter X
Not holding out a prospect of success; likely to fail; unpromising.
Something or somebody considered unlikely.
* 1980 , Robert K. Lindsay, Applications of artificial intelligence for organic chemistry
* 1996 , Laurie R. King, To Play the Fool
* 2001 , Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Marci Shimoff, Chicken soup for the mother's soul 2 (page 166)
(as a pro-sentence ) perhaps that is true (expressing no commitment to a decision or a neutral viewpoint to a statement)
Possible; uncertain.
(informal) Something that is possibly true.
(informal) An answer that shows neither agreement nor disagreement.
(informal) A future event that may or may not happen.
As adjectives the difference between unlikely and maybe
is that unlikely is not likely; improbable; not to be reasonably expected while maybe is possible; uncertain.As adverbs the difference between unlikely and maybe
is that unlikely is in an improbable manner while maybe is .As nouns the difference between unlikely and maybe
is that unlikely is something or somebody considered unlikely while maybe is (informal) something that is possibly true.unlikely
English
Adjective
(en-adj)- It's very unlikely that you'll be able to walk perfectly after being in a cast for six months.
- 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.
- unlikely means
Noun
(unlikelies)- 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.
- "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."
- 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
*maybe
English
(wikipedia maybe)Alternative forms
* (l) (obsolete) * (l) (dialectal)Adverb
(-)Usage notes
* Do not confuse maybe' with ' may be : "Maybe that's true", but "That may be true"Synonyms
* (perhaps) mayhaps, peradventure, perhaps, possibly * (as a pro-sentence) could be, mayhaps, might be, perhaps, possibly, that’s possibleDerived terms
* and I don't mean maybeAdjective
(en adjective)- Then add those may-be years thou hast to live ? Dryden.
Noun
(en noun)- The results of the poll were inconclusive. We got two yeses, three nos, and four maybes.
- About your raise: it's a big maybe .