A shot in the dark Meaning in English
expression
uh SHOT in thuh DARK
uh SHOT in the DAHK
Definition
A guess or attempt made with very little information or no evidence, often hoping to succeed by luck.
Usage & Nuances
Informal and often used for guesses or solutions when the odds of being correct are low. Common collocations: 'take a shot in the dark', 'just a shot in the dark'. Similar to 'stab in the dark'. Rarely used in formal writing.
Spanish: un tiro al aire - una suposición al azarPortuguese (BR): um tiro no escuro - um palpitePortuguese (PT): um tiro no escuro - um palpiteChinese (Simplified): 瞎猜 - 碰运气的一试Chinese (Traditional): 瞎猜 - 碰運氣的一試Hindi: एक अंदाज़ा - अंधेरे में तीर चलानाArabic: تخمين عشوائي - محاولة عشوائيةBengali: আঁধারে তীর ছোড়া - আন্দাজে বলাRussian: пальцем в небо - угадать наугадJapanese: 当てずっぽう - 闇雲な推測Vietnamese: phỏng đoán mò - đoán bừaKorean: 막연한 시도 - 아무렇게나 추측함Turkish: karanlıkta atış - rastgele tahminUrdu: اندازہ سے کہنا - بے خبری میں کوششIndonesian: tebakan asal - nebak sembarangan
Example Sentences
That answer was just a shot in the dark.
basic
He took a shot in the dark and guessed her age.
basic
Finding your keys without looking is a shot in the dark.
basic
Honestly, my guess was a shot in the dark—I had no idea what the answer was.
natural
Sometimes you just have to take a shot in the dark and hope for the best.
natural
Her guess about the password was a shot in the dark, but it worked!
natural