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

Example Sentences

Diana, the Kalshi spokeswoman, acknowledged that mention markets face long shot bias but said mention markets weren’t representative of the platform’s overall pricing and weren’t a good candidate for this type of pricing analysis.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 4, 2026

Brad Cox, who trains three of those horses, including Florida Derby winner Commandment and Blue Grass champion Further Ado, as well as the interesting long shot Fulleffort, termed the field “very competitive.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 29, 2026

Passage has gone from a foregone conclusion early in the year to a long shot, even though lawmakers hope to hold a committee vote in the next month.

From Barron's • Apr. 17, 2026

At this point, that is a long shot.

From Salon • Apr. 10, 2026

As Seabiscuit broke from the gate, he was immediately bashed inward by Count Adas, a hopeless long shot emerging from the stall to his right.

From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand

Related Words

• fluke