Meanings
- datedidiomaticusuallyBy a wide margin; indicates a very big difference or disparity.
He couldn't keep up with me, not by a long shot.
4 more examples
He speaks better than he writes, by a long shot.
‘Yes, I do recognize it now. It is the most wonderful thing I ever heard of; by a long shot the most wonderful—and unexpected.’
1883, Mark Twain, Life on the MississippiWell, he won’t find Billy Roberts a sissy by a long shot.
1913, Jack London, The Valley of the MoonSee here: You KNOW you feel superior to folks. You're not as bad as I say, but you're not as good as you say—not by a long shot! What’s the reason you’re so superior?
1920, Sinclair Lewis, Main StreetSynonyms: by far § Synonyms
Synonyms & antonyms
prepositional phraseBy a wide margin; indicates a very big difference or disparity.
Translations
Finnish lähimainkaan, sinne päinkään
- lähimainkaanby a wide margin
- sinne päinkäänby a wide margin
- lähestulkoonkaanby a wide margin
- likimainkaanby a wide margin
French largement, de loin
- largementby a wide margin
- de loinby a wide margin
- haut la mainby a wide margin
German bei weitem, bei Weitem
- bei weitemby a wide margin
- bei Weitemby a wide margin
- langeby a wide margin
- noch langeby a wide margin
Japanese 決して, 絶対
- 決して (kesshite)by a wide margin
- 絶対 (zettai)by a wide margin
- 断然 (danzen)by a wide margin
Polish bynajmniej, o wiele
- bynajmniejby a wide margin
- o wieleby a wide margin
Romanian de departe, nici pe departe
- de departeby a wide margin
- nici pe departeby a wide margin
Spanish de lejos, ni por asomo
- de lejosby a wide margin
- ni por asomoby a wide margin
- ni mucho menosby a wide margin
- ni por casualidadby a wide margin
- ni de lejosby a wide margin
- ni de cercaby a wide margin
- ni con guincheby a wide margin
Cite this entry
by a long shot. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/by%20a%20long%20shot
“by a long shot.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/by%20a%20long%20shot. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “by a long shot,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/by%20a%20long%20shot.
Source: by a long shot on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.