shot in the dark, a
a shot in the dark
1. A guess or estimate with very little or no assurance as to its accuracy. Well, this is just a shot in the dark, but I'm going to say that the answer to the question is 52.
2. An attempt that is not expected to succeed or has very little chance of working. It was really just a shot in the dark when I tried to fix our washing machine, but I was actually able to get it working again on my first try!
See also: dark, shot
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
shot in the dark
Fig. a very general attempt; a wild guess. It was just a shot in the dark. I had no idea I was exactly correct. Come on, try it. Even a shot in the dark may win.
See also: dark, shot
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.
shot in the dark
A wild, unsubstantiated guess; also, an attempt that has little chance for success. For example, It was a shot in the dark, but the engineers had a hunch that replacing the valve would make the system work , or You can try looking for your key on the beach, but I think it's a shot in the dark. [Colloquial; late 1800s]
See also: dark, shot
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
a shot in the dark
ora stab in the dark
If a guess is a shot in the dark or a stab in the dark, it is not based on facts, but there is a small chance that it will be right. Our strategy is based on good intelligence. This is not a shot in the dark. He described the government's figures as a stab in the dark.
See also: dark, shot
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed.
a shot (or stab) in the dark
an act whose outcome cannot be foreseen; a mere guess.The metaphorical use of in the dark to mean ‘in a state of ignorance’ dates from the late 17th century.
See also: dark, shot
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary
shot in the dark
n. a very general attempt; a wild guess. It was just a shot in the dark. I had no idea I was exactly correct.
See also: dark, shot
McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions
shot in the dark
Informal1. A guess.
2. An attempt that has little chance of succeeding.
See also: dark, shot
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition.
shot in the dark, a
A wild guess. Shooting without being able to see is taking a long shot, at best. The term has been around since the late nineteenth century. It is the title of a hilarious 1964 film starring Peter Sellers as a bumbling detective, Inspector Clouseau, who is convinced that a beautiful woman (played by Elke Sommer) is innocent of murder despite all evidence to the contrary. Graham Greene used the expression in The Third Man (1950): “It was a shot in the dark, but already he had this firm instinctive sense that there was something wrong.”
See also: shot
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer
- a shot in the dark
- a shot/stab in the dark
- shot in the dark
- a stab in the dark
- take a shot in the dark
- take a stab in the dark
- at a guess
- make a guess
- take a guess
- What does (one) know?