long shot

noun
1.
a horse, team, etc., that has little chance of winning and carries long odds.
2.
an attempt or undertaking that offers much but in which there is little chance for success.
3.
Movies, Television. a camera shot taken at a relatively great distance from the subject and permitting a broad view of a scene. Compare closeup ( def 2 ), medium shot.
Idioms
4.
by a long shot, by any means; by a measurable degree: They haven't finished by a long shot.
Origin:
1785–95

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Long shot is always a great word to know.
So is zedonk. Does it mean:
a scrap or morsel of food left at a meal.
the offspring of a zebra and a donkey.
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Collins
World English Dictionary
long shot
 
—n
1.  a competitor, as in a race, considered to be unlikely to win
2.  a bet against heavy odds
3.  an undertaking, guess, or possibility with little chance of success
4.  films, television a shot where the camera is or appears to be distant from the object to be photographed
5.  by a long shot by any means: he still hasn't finished by a long shot

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

long shot
in the figurative sense of "something unlikely," 1867, from long + shot. The notion is of a shot at a target from a great distance, thus difficult to make.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Slang Dictionary

long shot definition


  1. n.
    a wild guess; an attempt at something that has little chance of succeeding. : You shouldn't expect a long shot to pay off.
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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Example sentences
It isn't bad by a long shot, but far from leading the pack in terms of quality.
Finally, though it's a long shot, the ability to isolate stem cells may even
  lessen the escalating need for blood transfusions.
He said if he had a scene that he didn't think was good enough, he'd do it in a
  long shot rather than try to punch it up.
The biggest challenge by a long shot is estimating the revenue impact for the
  veterans' exemption.
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