not by any stretch of the imagination
- not by any stretch of the imagination
- not by any stretch (of the imagination)
even if you try, it is still difficult to accept.
She was never a great player, not by any stretch of the imagination.
He's nice-looking but by no stretch of the imagination could you describe him as handsome.
Our survey was purely random and by no stretch scientific.
Usage notes: sometimes used in the form by any stretch (of the imagination) - even possibly:
It's the only plan that could, by any stretch, be relied upon to work.
It's only a slight stretch of the imagination to call that scissors a weapon.
New idioms dictionary.
2014.
Look at other dictionaries:
not by any stretch of the imagination — not by any/by no/stretch of the imagination phrase used for saying that you think something cannot be true or possible no matter how hard you try to imagine it It’s not a great work of cinema by any stretch of the imagination. Thesaurus: ways of… … Useful english dictionary
not by any stretch of the imagination — (not) by any stretch of the imagination if you say that by no stretch of the imagination can you describe something or someone in a particular way, you mean that this way of describing them is certainly not correct. She was never a great player,… … New idioms dictionary
not by any stretch of the imagination — not adding to the story, not stretching it Gigi wasn t his only girl, not by any stretch of the imagination … English idioms
by any stretch of the imagination — (not) by any stretch of the imagination if you say that by no stretch of the imagination can you describe something or someone in a particular way, you mean that this way of describing them is certainly not correct. She was never a great player,… … New idioms dictionary
not by any stretch — (of the imagination) even if you try, it is still difficult to accept. She was never a great player, not by any stretch of the imagination. He s nice looking but by no stretch of the imagination could you describe him as handsome. Our survey was… … New idioms dictionary
by no stretch of the imagination — not by any/by no/stretch of the imagination phrase used for saying that you think something cannot be true or possible no matter how hard you try to imagine it It’s not a great work of cinema by any stretch of the imagination. Thesaurus: ways of… … Useful english dictionary
by any/no stretch of the imagination — see ↑stretch, 2 • • • Main Entry: ↑imagination by any/no stretch of the imagination used to emphasize that something is not true, does not happen, etc. They re not wealthy by any stretch of the imagination. [=they re not wealthy at all] By no… … Useful english dictionary
by any stretch... — See not by any stretch of the imagination … English idioms
imagination — noun ADJECTIVE ▪ great ▪ active, creative, fertile, lively, rich, strong, vivid ▪ fevered … Collocations dictionary
stretch — 1 verb 1 MAKE STH BIGGER/LOOSER a) (I, T) to make something bigger or looser by pulling it, or to become bigger or looser as a result of being pulled: My big, blue sweater has stretched completely out of shape. b) (intransitive not in… … Longman dictionary of contemporary English
