be a shot in the dark

1. To be a guess or estimate with very little or no assurance as to its accuracy. Well, this is just a shot in the dark, but I'm going to say that the answer to the question is 52. Hailey had no idea what the last question on the exam was talking about, so her answer was a total shot in the dark. OK, here's a shot in the dark—is the mystery guest Countess Constance Markievicz?

2. To be an attempt that is not expected to succeed or has very little chance of working. It was really just a shot in the dark when I tried to fix our washing machine, but I was actually able to get it working again on my first try! I had a great experience abroad, even if it was a bit of a shot in the dark taking a job in a different country. If you're going to start your own business, it can't just be a shot in the dark—you need sound financial advice and a strong plan.