Provides a hint to the optimizer that the labelled statement has a high probability of being executed.

switch (n) {
case 1:
  // ...
  break;

[[likely]] case 2:  // n == 2 is considered to be arbitrarily more
  // ...            // likely than any other value of n
  break;
}

If one of the likely/unlikely attributes appears after the right parenthesis of an if-statement,
it indicates that the branch is likely/unlikely to have its substatement (body) executed.

int random = get_random_number_between_x_and_y(0, 3);
if (random > 0) [[likely]] {
  // body of if statement
  // ...
}

It can also be applied to the substatement (body) of an iteration statement.

while (unlikely_truthy_condition) [[unlikely]] {
  // body of while statement
  // ...
}