far-fetched

• far fetched, farfetched

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• Rhymes: -ɛtʃt

far-fetched (comparative more far-fetched or (rare) farther-fetched or (rare) further-fetched, superlative most far-fetched or (rare) farthest-fetched or (rare) furthest-fetched)

1. (obsolete) Brought from far away.
   • 1624, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], The Anatomy of Melancholy: […], 2nd edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] John Lichfield and James Short, for Henry Cripps, →OCLC, partition II, section 4, member 1, subsection ii:

     it may be, if like industry were used, those far fetched druggs would prosper as well with us, as in those countries, whence now we have them […].

2. Implausible; not likely; difficult to believe.

   He is full of far-fetched ideas to make money.

   • 1876 July 13, Robert Stewart, "Want of Confidence Motion." Parliamentary Debates (Queensland Legislative Assembly)

     When the honorable member chose to repeat a long list of grievances which he attempted to father upon the present Government, simply because some of the members of it belonged to the late administration, I think it was about the furthest fetched argument he could have got.

   • 1993 March 11, Alan Cathcart, “MZ ON THE RISE”, in Cycle World:

     The idea that any new MZ could be a star of an international motorcycle show is even farther fetched, rather like a Fiat outshining a Ferrari.

   Synonyms: outlandish, wild, impractical