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

Merino came on in the 86th minute and scored on his second touch of the match, charging into the box and pouncing after Lammens spilled a rebound of Pau Cubarsí's long shot. — ABC News, 10 July 2026

Asteroid mining may sound like a long shot, but so did reusable rockets not long ago — and in both cases, the engineering was never really the question. — Charlotte Kiang, Forbes.com, 9 July 2026

No Republican has won the Los Angeles mayor’s office since 1997, making Pratt’s bid a significant long shot from the outset. — Barnini Chakraborty, The Washington Examiner, 8 July 2026

Pratt, who rose to prominence in the early aughts as the antagonist of MTV’s The Hills, lost his long shot bid for Los Angeles mayor’s seat last month, placing third in the city’s primary after months of headline-grabbing interviews and campaigning. — Desiree Anello, PEOPLE, 8 July 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