Definition of long shot
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
by a long shot
: by a great deal
From the M-W Editors
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.
First Known Use of long shot
1796
LONG SHOT Defined for English Language Learners
long shot
playDefinition of long shot for English Language Learners
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: an attempt or effort that is not likely to be successful
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: a person or thing that is not likely to win something (such as a contest or race)
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