likely

likely
    adv 1: with considerable certainty; without much doubt; "He is
           probably out of the country"; "in all likelihood we are
           headed for war" [syn: {probably}, {likely}, {in all
           likelihood}, {in all probability}, {belike}]
    adj 1: has a good chance of being the case or of coming about;
           "these services are likely to be available to us all
           before long"; "she is likely to forget"; "a likely place
           for a restaurant"; "the broken limb is likely to fall";
           "rain is likely"; "a likely topic for investigation";
           "likely candidates for the job" [ant: {unlikely}]
    2: likely but not certain to be or become true or real; "a
       likely result"; "he foresaw a probable loss" [syn:
       {probable}, {likely}] [ant: {improbable}, {unlikely}]
    3: expected to become or be; in prospect; "potential clients"
       [syn: {likely}, {potential}]
    4: within the realm of credibility; "not a very likely excuse"
    

Likely \Like"ly\, adv.
   In all probability; probably.
   [1913 Webster]

         While man was innocent he was likely ignorant of
         nothing that imported him to know.       --Glanvill.
   [1913 Webster]
    

Likely \Like"ly\, a. [Compar. {Likelier} (l[imac]k"l[i^]*[~e]r);
   superl. {Likeliest}.] [That is, like-like. See {Like}, a.]
   1. Worthy of belief; probable; credible; as, a likely story.
      [1913 Webster]

            It seems likely that he was in hope of being busy
            and conspicuous.                      --Johnson.
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   2. Having probability; having or giving reason to expect; --
      followed by the infinitive; as, it is likely to rain.
      [1913 Webster]

   3. Similar; like; alike. [Obs.] --Spenser.
      [1913 Webster]

   4. Such as suits; good-looking; pleasing; agreeable;
      handsome. --Shak. --Milton.
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   5. Having such qualities as make success probable; well
      adapted to the place; promising; as, a likely young man; a
      likely servant.
      [1913 Webster]

   6. Improbable; unlikely; -- used ironically; as, a likely
      story. [informal]
      [PJC]
    

160 Moby Thesaurus words for "likely":
      Junoesque, a propos, able, acceptable, ad rem, adapted,
      advantageous, advisable, agreeable, amply endowed, applicable,
      apposite, appropriate, apropos, apt, apt to, assumably, becoming,
      befitting, bent, bonny, braw, built, built for comfort, buxom,
      by all odds, callipygian, callipygous, cogitable, comely,
      conceivable, conceivably possible, congruous, contingent,
      convenient, couleur de rose, credible, curvaceous, curvy, decent,
      desirable, disposed, disposed to, dispositioned,
      dollars to doughnuts, doubtless, doubtlessly, dovetailing, earthly,
      encouraging, expected, expedient, fair, favorable, favored,
      favorite, feasible, felicitous, fit, fitted, fitten, fitting,
      foreseeable, fructuous, geared, given, goddess-like, good,
      good-looking, goodly, happy, hopeful, humanly possible, imaginable,
      in all likelihood, in all probability, in the cards, in the mood,
      inclined, inclined to, indubitably, just right, liable, liable to,
      like enough, lovely to behold, meet, meshing, minded, mortal,
      most likely, no doubt, odds-on, on the button, opportune, pat,
      personable, plausible, pleasing, pneumatic, politic, possible,
      potential, predictable, predictable within limits, predisposed,
      presentable, presumable, presumably, presumptive, presumptively,
      probable, probably, profitable, promising, prone, proper,
      qualified, reasonable, recommendable, relevant, right,
      rose-colored, roseate, rosy, seasonable, seemly, shapely, sightly,
      slender, sortable, stacked, statistically probable, statuesque,
      suitable, suited, suiting, tailored, ten to one, tenable,
      thinkable, timely, to be desired, to the point, to the purpose,
      undoubtedly, useful, verisimilar, very like, very likely,
      well-built, well-favored, well-formed, well-made,
      well-proportioned, well-shaped, well-stacked, well-timed, wise,
      worthwhile