WordValelong shot
something with little chance of success
In more detail
1. (noun) something that is unlikely to succeed or happen
2. (noun) a photograph or film scene taken from far away
Examples
- 1. Winning the lottery is a long shot, but people try anyway.
- 2. The director used a long shot to show the entire landscape in the opening scene.
How to use long shot
Long shot is used informally to describe something with low probability of success, often when someone attempts it anyway. In photography and film, it refers to a wide-angle view showing considerable distance or space. The phrase 'not by a long shot' is an emphatic negation meaning 'definitely not.'
Common phrases
- take a long shot
- a long shot at
- odds are a long shot
- by a long shot
- not by a long shot
Synonyms
outsider · long odds · unlikely prospect · remote possibility · gamble
Opposites
sure thing · foregone conclusion
A common mistake
Learners sometimes confuse 'a long shot' (uncertain outcome) with 'a long reach' (physical distance); also, some miss that 'not by a long shot' is idiomatic and cannot be rearranged.
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