fat chance
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Noun Phrase: * Little or no chance of success; a very low probability: Used to express strong skepticism or certainty that something will not happen.
Usage
"Fat chance" is an ironic or sarcastic idiom. The word "fat" here is used ironically to mean the opposite; it signifies something very small or slim. It is used to dismiss a suggestion or possibility as highly unlikely.
Examples
Advanced Usage
The phrase is often used as a standalone exclamation ("Fat chance!") or within the construction "fat chance of [something happening]."
Variants and Related Words
- Slim chance: This is a non-ironic, literal phrase with a similar meaning (a very low probability). "Fat chance" is its sarcastic counterpart.
- No chance: A direct and non-idiomatic way to express impossibility.
Synonyms
- Little chance
- No hope
- Not a chance
- Snowball's chance in hell (vulgar, emphatic)
Antonyms
- Good chance
- High probability
- Strong possibility
Related Idioms
- A snowball's chance in hell: An even more emphatic and vulgar idiom expressing extreme improbability.
- When pigs fly: Used to say that something will never happen.
Noun
- little or no chance of success