far-fetched

The plot of the movie was far-fetched and unbelievable.

Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Improbable or unlikely: "far-fetched" describes something that is difficult to believe because it seems too exaggerated, improbable, or remote from reality.
   • Forced or unnatural: It can also refer to an idea, story, or explanation that seems strained, artificial, or lacking natural connection.

Usage Examples

• Improbable:

  • His explanation for being late was so far-fetched that no one believed it. (His story was too unlikely to be credible.)
  • The plot of the movie was entertaining, but it was far-fetched and unrealistic. (The storyline was exaggerated and hard to accept as plausible.)

• Forced or unnatural:

  • The argument she made was far-fetched and did not follow logically from the evidence. (Her reasoning seemed strained and unnatural.)
  • The comparison between the two works is far-fetched; they have little in common. (The analogy feels forced and lacks a genuine connection.)

Advanced Usage

• "a far-fetched idea": an idea that is highly speculative or unlikely.

  • The proposal to build a city on Mars seems far-fetched with current technology. (It is improbable given present capabilities.)

• "far-fetched as it may seem": used to acknowledge the improbability of something while presenting it.

  • Far-fetched as it may seem, the theory has some scientific basis. (Even though it seems unlikely, it is not entirely baseless.)

Variants and Related Words

• Far-fetchedness (noun): the quality of being improbable or strained.
  • The far-fetchedness of the story made it hard to take seriously. (The improbability made it unbelievable.)

Synonyms

• Implausible: not seeming reasonable or probable; lacking credibility.
• Unlikely: not likely to happen or be true.
• Strained: forced or unnatural in expression or reasoning.
• Tenuous: very weak or slight; not strong or secure.

Antonyms

• Plausible: seeming reasonable or probable.
• Realistic: representing things in a way that is accurate and true to life.
• Credible: able to be believed; convincing.

Related Idioms

• "Stretch the truth": to exaggerate or distort facts.

  • His account of the event stretched the truth so much that it became far-fetched. (He exaggerated beyond believability.)

• "Beyond belief": so extreme as to be hard to accept.

  • The coincidence was so far-fetched that it seemed beyond belief. (It was too improbable to be credible.)