# long shot

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/long-shot
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

Something unlikely; something that has little chance of happening or working; long odds

## Examples

- Winning the lottery is a long shot.
- Finding my lost keys in this dark park feels like a long shot.
- Applying for that job is a long shot, but I decided to send my resume anyway.
- I know it is a long shot, but maybe the hotel still has one room available if we call them right now.
- Although the startup's success seemed like a long shot to most investors, the founder remained confident that the new technology would eventually transform the entire industry.

## Origin

The phrase comes from gunnery. A 'long shot' was literally a shot fired at a distant target — and with the muzzle-loading weapons of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, the farther the range, the less likely it was to hit. By the 1800s the term had moved into horse racing and betting, where bookmakers used it for a runner given long odds: a wager unlikely to pay off. That history sits behind the everyday sense today — any attempt, guess, or goal with only a small chance of success.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.