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.

---

far-fetched British  

adjective

1. improbable in nature; unlikely

---

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

Unless the war escalates again, even a tenuous ceasefire likely makes that still more far-fetched.

From Slate • Apr. 8, 2026

That, at this stage, seems far-fetched - but so did the idea of Hodgson reappearing on the touchline, until Friday's announcement by Bristol City.

From BBC • Mar. 27, 2026

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

From Salon • Mar. 21, 2026

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

From Barron's • Feb. 2, 2026

I wondered then if, without the language barrier, my classmates and I could have done a better job making sense of Christianity, an idea that sounds pretty far-fetched to begin with.

From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris