long shot

American  

[lawng shot, long] / ˈlɔŋ ˌʃɒt, ˈlɒŋ /

noun

1. a horse, team, etc., that has little chance of winning and carries long odds.

2. an attempt or undertaking that offers much but in which there is little chance for success.

   Getting tickets at this late date is a long shot, but I'll give it a whirl.

3. Movies, Television. a camera shot taken at a relatively great distance from the subject and permitting a broad view of a scene.

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idioms

1. by a long shot, by any means; by a measurable degree (usually used in the negative).

   They haven't finished by a long shot.

long shot British  

noun

1. a competitor, as in a race, considered to be unlikely to win

2. a bet against heavy odds

3. an undertaking, guess, or possibility with little chance of success

4. films television a shot where the camera is or appears to be distant from the object to be photographed

5. by any means

   he still hasn't finished by a long shot

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Etymology

Origin of long shot

First recorded in 1785–95

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

long shot

This is a long shot, and it has been tried before.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026

But she’s not alone, not by a long shot.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 3, 2026

Our Founders were not poor men, but they weren’t Griffin-rich by a long shot – that’s British monarchy levels of money.

From Salon ● Aug. 23, 2026

But Cigar, at odds of 1-10, got caught up in a speed duel and wound up losing to a 39-1 long shot named Dare and Go.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 23, 2026

He said he was aware that it would be a long shot.

From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown

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