🗓️ Idiom: Long Shot (n)
💬 Meaning
- An attempt or guess that has only a small chance of success but is still worth trying.
- A risky or unlikely strategy that might bring big rewards if it works.
🧠 Example Sentences
- Pitching to that international client was a long shot, but it paid off.
- It’s a long shot, but we might still win the contract if we revise our proposal.
- Her idea seemed like a long shot, but the marketing team decided to test it anyway.
🏛️ Origin
The idiom “long shot” comes from sports and shooting, particularly in horse racing and marksmanship, where a “long shot” referred to a low-probability bet or distant target. Over time, it evolved into an expression for any action with slim chances of success.
📝 Practice Exercises
1. Fill in the blank:
Applying for the high-profile project was a total __________, but we gave it our best shot.
Answer
long shot
2. Choose the correct meaning of “long shot”:
A) A guaranteed success
B) A plan with low odds of success
C) A strategy everyone agrees with
Answer
B) A plan with low odds of success
3. Rewrite the sentence using the idiom:
“It’s very unlikely that our campaign will go viral, but we’ll try anyway.” → Change the sentence using: long shot
Answer
It’s a long shot that our campaign will go viral, but we’ll try anyway.
ℹ️ Other Useful Pages
👉 Marketing and Sales Idioms
👉 Business English Idioms List
👉 Student Space
👉 Tutor Toolkit