improbabile
/im.proˈba.bi.le/
The English word 'unlikely' is translated into Italian as improbabile.
improbabile is an adjective used to describe something that is not likely to happen.
Meaning: not likely (adj)
What does it mean word for word?
The word is formed from the prefix im- (not) and probabile (probable).
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective improbabile is invariant for gender, so it remains the same whether the subject is masculine or feminine. However, it must change to the plural form improbabili for both masculine and feminine plural subjects.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /im.proˈba.bi.le/ and has five syllables. The stress is on the third syllable.
Did you know?
- In Italian, when someone tells you something truly improbabile, you might respond with the gesture of a 'hand purse' to signal that the story is unbelievable.
- The Latin root probare means 'to test' or 'to prove', meaning that something 'unlikely' is literally something that has not been 'proven'.
- In some regional dialects, speakers might avoid improbabile and instead use difficile, meaning 'difficult', to say that an event is unlikely to happen.
Examples in context
- La pioggia è improbabile.Rain is unlikely.This sentence shows how to use improbabile to describe rain.Tatoeba #13321958 by Guybrush88, translation #4486274 by mmorton
- È improbabile che sia vero.It's unlikely to be true.This sentence demonstrates how to use improbabile to say something is unlikely to be true.Tatoeba #3872499 by Guybrush88, translation #3819080 by CK
- È improbabile che si sposino.They are unlikely to marry.This sentence shows how to use improbabile to express that something is unlikely to happen regarding marriage.Tatoeba #3040362 by Guybrush88, translation #306436 by sundown
- È improbabile che arrivi in tempoIt is unlikely that he/she will arrive on time
- È molto poco probabile che avremo successoIt is very unlikely that we will succeed
- Difficilmente ci vedremo domaniWe will hardly see each other tomorrow
- Non c'è verso che lui accetti l'invitoThere's no way he'll accept the invitation
- Non c'è verso che lui vinca la partitaThere's no way he'll win the game
- 77 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Chiara and Lorenzo are discussing a difficult exam.
- ChiaraPensi che passeremo l'esame?Do you think we will pass the exam?
- LorenzoSì, ma per me è improbabile.Yes, but for me it is unlikely.
- ChiaraPerché sei così pessimista, Lorenzo?Why are you so pessimistic, Lorenzo?
- LorenzoIl test era davvero troppo difficile.The test was really too difficult.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “unlikely” translations and entries improbabile, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
