long shot

noun

ˈlȯŋ-ˌshät 

1

: a venture involving great risk but promising a great reward if successful

also : a venture unlikely to succeed

2

: an entry (as in a horse race) given little chance of winning

3

: a bet in which the chances of winning are slight but the possible winnings great

Phrases

by a long shot

: by a great deal

Examples of long shot in a Sentence

I hope to double my profits, but I know that's a long shot.

The horse was a long shot, but we bet on him anyway.

She always bets on long shots at the racetrack.

Recent Examples on the Web

Landing Irish actor Michael Fassbender was a long shot. —Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 12 Dec. 2024

That is a possibility, but also, sadly, a long shot. —Jason Fields, Newsweek, 5 Dec. 2024

Topline The return of the rival Texas A&M and University of Texas football teams to the gridiron for the first time in over a decade has fans lining up, and opening their wallets, to attend what has become the most expensive college football game on record—by a long shot. —Mary Whitfill Roeloffs, Forbes, 25 Nov. 2024

Last-second field goals that were once literal long shots now feel like formalities. —Becky Sullivan, NPR, 20 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1796, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

long shot

noun

ˈlȯŋ-ˌshät 

1

: a great risk that promises a great reward if successful

2

: an entry (as in a horse race) given little chance of winning