short-fetched

8.9

Hard to believe because it lacks good proof

adjective
/ˈʃɔrtˌfɛtʃt/

Archaic

: inverosímil

It's a short-fetched claim that lacks supporting evidence.

Examples

The committee rejected the proposal as too short-fetched to consider seriously.
That theory seems quite short-fetched to me.
Her explanation was a bit short-fetched for my liking.
His explanation was rather short-fetched.
Her explanation seemed quite short-fetched, lacking any logical basis.
It's a short-fetched notion that doesn't align with the available facts.
Many considered the idea short-fetched due to its outrageous assumptions.

Synonyms

far-fetched

vsshort-fetched

44 6.0

Unlikely to be true because it seems unreal and extreme

is more neutral and lacks the extra suggestion of exaggeration

implausible

vsshort-fetched

26 7.0

Not likely to be true or hard to believe

has identical sense but appears as the adjective label in the definition

farfetched

vsshort-fetched

8 7.5

Not likely to be true or believable

is less extreme and simply says something is improbable rather than exaggerated

Antonyms

plausible

129 7.2

Seeming believable but possibly not true

believable

98 3.7

Easy to accept as true

How Plausible

absurd

288 4.4

short-fetched

Archaic

8.9

plausible

129 7.2

convincing

195 3.4

Surface Forms

short-fetched positive

Morphology

short-fetched = short + fetch (opaque) = short + fetch

Although formed from the clear words 'short' + 'fetched', the idiomatic meaning 'improbable' does not follow from the literal components (the sense is driven by analogy with 'far-fetched').

Etymology

Short-fetched is made like far-fetched, and the part fetch means 'to bring'. A helpful way to remember it is to see short as 'not enough' — a short-fetched idea is 'short on evidence' or 'not properly brought', so it feels 'unlikely'.