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

see also:

by a long shot

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

The Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected Florida's long shot attempt to sue California and Washington state over the issuance of commercial driver licenses to truckers who don't speak English and are not authorized to be in the United States. —ABC News, 26 May 2026

For the long shot winner, that is a golfer who has over +2000 odds to win. —Jeff Hartman, Forbes.com, 25 May 2026

These are long shots, but all are young, have areas of strength and wouldn’t cost a large amount in free agency. —Allan Mitchell, New York Times, 25 May 2026

An idea that once seemed like a long shot is now entirely within the realm of possibility — in a moment of kismet, halfway through Cinco de Mayo, the entire cast got the news that they were renewed for a second season. —Seija Rankin, HollywoodReporter, 22 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1796, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for long shot

• allot
• barat
• begot
• besought
• bethought
• bloodshot
• boycott
• buckshot
• crackpot
• croat
• culottes
• dashpot

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