a fighting chance
Also found in: Dictionary, Acronyms.
fighting chance
A small possibility to succeed or overcome a situation. David wanted to give his marriage a fighting chance so he agreed to go to counseling with his wife. If I'm going to have a fighting chance to pass this test, I'm going to have to study all night.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2022 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
a ˌfighting ˈchance
a slight but real chance of succeeding, avoiding something, etc: With five minutes of the game left, our team still has a fighting chance of winning. ♢ Things don’t look very hopeful for John Brown in the presidential elections, but he’s still in with a fighting chance.Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017
fighting chance, a
A possibility of success through great effort. An Americanism dating from the late nineteenth century, this phrase has been used in a large variety of contexts. For example, “Free school breakfasts and lunches will give these inner-city children a fighting chance of graduating,” or “Hunting with a bow and arrow gives the deer a fighting chance.”
See also: fight
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer Copyright © 2013 by Christine Ammer