far-fetched

American

[fahr-fecht] / ˈfɑrˈfɛtʃt /

Or farfetched

adjective

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

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

far-fetched British

adjective

improbable in nature; unlikely

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

far-fetchedness noun
farfetchedness noun

Etymology

Origin of far-fetched

First recorded in 1575–85

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

On Thursday the prime minister said it was "a little bit far-fetched" to believe McSweeney could have faked the theft of his phone.

From BBC • Mar. 26, 2026

She sounds already disappointed on their behalf, tired of artists whose far-fetched plans never quite materialize.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 12, 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

The idea, once seemingly far-fetched, is all about AI.

From Barron's • Feb. 2, 2026

The possibility wasn’t so far-fetched, him being the supervising engineer of the project—the top guy in charge.

From "Hoot" by Carl Hiaasen

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023