far-fetched

American  

[fahr-fecht] / ˈfɑrˈfɛtʃt /

Or farfetched

adjective

1. improbable; not naturally pertinent; being only remotely connected; forced; strained.

   He brought in a far-fetched example in an effort to prove his point.

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far-fetched British  

adjective

1. improbable in nature; unlikely

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Other Word Forms

• far-fetchedness noun
• farfetchedness noun

Etymology

Origin of far-fetched

First recorded in 1575–85

Explanation

Something far-fetched is imaginative but very unlikely. It's a lot easier to think of than to do. Our brains can think of all sorts of ideas. Some are realistic, like going to the store or getting married. Others are far-fetched: A far-fetched idea or plan is implausible because there's very little chance it will happen. Flying to Jupiter is far-fetched. Marrying a movie star is a far-fetched idea, and so is becoming a movie star. Far-fetched things aren't necessarily impossible, but they're very unlikely. Children are especially good at coming up with far-fetched notions because of their powerful imaginations. Note that this word is sometimes unhyphenated as farfetched.

Example Sentences

"The idea that somehow everybody could have seen that some time in the future there'd be a request for the phone is, to my mind, a little bit far-fetched."

From BBC • Mar. 26, 2026

This possibility isn’t far-fetched; Hegseth does not believe in the rules of engagement.

From Salon • Mar. 21, 2026

Combined with the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz—some 20% of the world’s oil traverses through the narrow waterway—$150 oil may not be so far-fetched.

From Barron's • Mar. 7, 2026

Still, she believes that the teachers’ fears of Meta AI glasses being used as a cheating tool are a bit far-fetched, at least for now.

From Slate • Feb. 12, 2026

It is far-fetched in some ways, but also highly illustrative.

From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel