The word I’m currently finding interesting
Improbably is the word I’m currently finding interesting. One would think that improbably would just be a straight antonym of probably—the way unlikely just means not likely—but they behave pretty differently. Consider the following sentences:
- The Pirates will probably lose tomorrow.
- The Pirates will improbably lose tomorrow.
I take (1) to basically mean: of all the possible ways that tomorrow could go, most of those ways involve the Pirates losing. But (2) on the other hand doesn’t mean that the Pirates lose in only a few of the ways tomorrow could go, but that they lose in all possible tomorrows, and furthermore, their losing will defy odds.
(2) is actually a pretty goofy sentence because, by uttering it, one is essentially predicting the unpredictable.
Improbable is even trickier, but that might just be because probable is trickier than probably.
