50 Idioms for Futility With Meanings & Sentences
Idioms for Futility
1. Chasing your tail
Meaning: Engaging in a lot of activity that gets you nowhere.
In a Sentence: I’ve been chasing my tail trying to fix the broken printer all morning.
Other Ways to Say: Going in circles, Wasting effort
2. Beating a dead horse
Meaning: Continuing to discuss or try something that is no longer useful.
In a Sentence: Trying to argue with him about cleaning his room is like beating a dead horse.
Other Ways to Say: Wasting time, Repeating something pointless
3. Running into a brick wall
Meaning: Facing an obstacle that cannot be overcome.
In a Sentence: Every time I ask for help, I feel like I’m running into a brick wall.
Other Ways to Say: Meeting resistance, Getting nowhere
4. Pouring water into a sieve
Meaning: Doing something that will never be successful.
In a Sentence: Studying all night without taking breaks is like pouring water into a sieve.
Other Ways to Say: Wasting your efforts, Trying the impossible
5. Spinning your wheels
Meaning: Working hard without making progress.
In a Sentence: I’ve been spinning my wheels on this report for hours and still haven’t made progress.
Other Ways to Say: Wasting energy, Getting nowhere
6. Barking up the wrong tree
Meaning: Pursuing a mistaken or misguided line of thought.
In a Sentence: If you think I broke your phone, you’re barking up the wrong tree.
Other Ways to Say: Misjudging, Blaming the wrong person
7. Like herding cats
Meaning: Trying to control or organize something that’s unmanageable.
In a Sentence: Organizing my siblings for a photo is like herding cats.
Other Ways to Say: Chaotic task, Impossible effort
8. Flogging a dead horse
Meaning: Continuing an effort that’s pointless.
In a Sentence: Repeating the same argument won’t help; you’re just flogging a dead horse.
Other Ways to Say: Pointless effort, Beating a dead issue
9. Throwing good money after bad
Meaning: Spending more money on something that has already failed.
In a Sentence: Investing more in that broken car is throwing good money after bad.
Other Ways to Say: Wasteful spending, Investing in failure
10. Trying to nail jelly to a wall
Meaning: Attempting something impossible or absurd.
In a Sentence: Getting toddlers to sit still is like trying to nail jelly to a wall.
Other Ways to Say: Impossible task, Futile attempt
11. A wild goose chase
Meaning: A pointless or hopeless pursuit.
In a Sentence: Searching for that lost receipt was a wild goose chase.
Other Ways to Say: Hopeless search, Pointless effort
12. Talking to a brick wall
Meaning: Speaking without being heard or acknowledged.
In a Sentence: Explaining the rules to him is like talking to a brick wall.
Other Ways to Say: Being ignored, Unheard advice
13. Like water off a duck’s back
Meaning: Having no effect.
In a Sentence: Criticism rolls off him like water off a duck’s back.
Other Ways to Say: Ineffective, Useless effort
14. Clutching at straws
Meaning: Trying any solution, no matter how unlikely.
In a Sentence: I was clutching at straws when I tried restarting the frozen laptop.
Other Ways to Say: Desperation move, Grasping the impossible
15. Beating your head against the wall
Meaning: Repeatedly trying and failing.
In a Sentence: I feel like I’m beating my head against the wall trying to fix this error.
Other Ways to Say: Frustrating effort, Pointless struggle
16. Like pushing a rope
Meaning: Doing something ineffective or pointless.
In a Sentence: Getting him to study is like pushing a rope.
Other Ways to Say: Futile task, Useless effort
17. Catching smoke with your bare hands
Meaning: Trying to do something impossible.
In a Sentence: Finding honesty in that corrupt system is like catching smoke with your bare hands.
Other Ways to Say: Chasing the impossible, Unattainable goal
18. A lost cause
Meaning: Something that has no chance of success.
In a Sentence: I gave up arguing with him—it’s a lost cause.
Other Ways to Say: Hopeless case, Waste of time
19. Going nowhere fast
Meaning: Making no progress despite effort.
In a Sentence: We’re going nowhere fast with these outdated tools.
Other Ways to Say: Stuck, Unproductive
20. Swimming against the tide
Meaning: Acting against a prevailing trend or opinion.
In a Sentence: Trying to reform the system felt like swimming against the tide.
Other Ways to Say: Facing resistance, Fighting the current
21. Like beating the wind
Meaning: Fighting something invisible or uncontrollable.
In a Sentence: Trying to control gossip is like beating the wind.
Other Ways to Say: Ineffectual, Pointless fight
22. Throwing in the towel
Meaning: Giving up after repeated failure.
In a Sentence: After multiple tries, he threw in the towel and walked away.
Other Ways to Say: Surrender, Quit
23. A fool’s errand
Meaning: A task that is pointless or bound to fail.
In a Sentence: Asking him to be on time is a fool’s errand.
Other Ways to Say: Hopeless mission, Waste of effort
24. Writing in the sand
Meaning: Creating something that won’t last.
In a Sentence: Building friendships without trust is like writing in the sand.
Other Ways to Say: Temporary, Fragile effort
25. Building castles in the air
Meaning: Making plans that are unrealistic.
In a Sentence: He keeps building castles in the air about winning the lottery.
Other Ways to Say: Daydreaming, Unrealistic goals
26. Like talking to a brick wall
Meaning: Trying to communicate with someone who doesn’t respond or listen.
In a Sentence: I tried to explain my point, but it was like talking to a brick wall. / Arguing with him is like talking to a brick wall.
Other Ways to Say: No response, Wasting words
27. Catching smoke with your bare hands
Meaning: Trying to do something impossible.
In a Sentence: Getting her to apologize is like catching smoke with your bare hands. / Managing three toddlers at once felt like catching smoke.
Other Ways to Say: Impossible task, Pointless effort
28. Chasing your tail
Meaning: Putting in effort without making progress.
In a Sentence: I’ve been chasing my tail all week trying to meet these deadlines. / She’s chasing her tail with that old project.
Other Ways to Say: Running in circles, Going nowhere
29. Treading water
Meaning: Making no progress despite effort.
In a Sentence: I’ve been treading water at this job for years. / No matter how much I try, I feel like I’m just treading water.
Other Ways to Say: Getting nowhere, Just surviving
30. A drop in the ocean
Meaning: A very small or insignificant contribution compared to what is needed.
In a Sentence: My donation felt like a drop in the ocean. / His effort to fix the problem was just a drop in the ocean.
Other Ways to Say: Insignificant, Too little
31. Spinning your wheels
Meaning: Trying hard without achieving anything.
In a Sentence: We’re just spinning our wheels with this strategy. / I’ve been spinning my wheels all day with no progress.
Other Ways to Say: Going in circles, Wasting energy
32. Pushing a rope
Meaning: Trying to make something work in an ineffective way.
In a Sentence: Convincing him to study is like pushing a rope. / That plan was doomed — it was like pushing a rope uphill.
Other Ways to Say: Futile attempt, Pointless
33. Digging a hole for yourself
Meaning: Making your situation worse through your actions.
In a Sentence: Every time you lie, you’re digging a hole for yourself. / He kept arguing and just dug a deeper hole.
Other Ways to Say: Making it worse, Self-sabotage
34. Blowing in the wind
Meaning: Being aimless or lacking direction.
In a Sentence: Without a plan, we were just blowing in the wind. / Her ideas are just blowing in the wind without action.
Other Ways to Say: Directionless, Lacking purpose
35. Talking until you’re blue in the face
Meaning: Repeating something over and over without effect.
In a Sentence: You can talk until you’re blue in the face — he won’t listen. / I explained it again and again, but it was useless.
Other Ways to Say: Repeating in vain, No impact
36. Filling a bottomless pit
Meaning: Putting effort into something that always demands more.
In a Sentence: Trying to satisfy him is like filling a bottomless pit. / That budget is a bottomless pit.
Other Ways to Say: Endless task, Never enough
37. Whistling in the wind
Meaning: Wasting time trying to achieve the impossible.
In a Sentence: Telling her to change is like whistling in the wind. / His efforts are just whistling in the wind.
Other Ways to Say: Pointless, Hopeless effort
38. Building castles in the air
Meaning: Making unrealistic or impractical plans.
In a Sentence: He keeps building castles in the air instead of acting. / Dreaming without action is just building castles in the air.
Other Ways to Say: Daydreaming, Unrealistic goals
39. Going nowhere fast
Meaning: Making effort but not progressing.
In a Sentence: This new system is going nowhere fast. / With no clear goals, our project is going nowhere fast.
Other Ways to Say: Stuck, Ineffective
40. Painting the sun black
Meaning: Trying to do something unnatural or impossible.
In a Sentence: You might as well paint the sun black — it won’t work. / Convincing them was like painting the sun black.
Other Ways to Say: Absurd effort, Impossible task
41. Writing in the sand
Meaning: Doing something that won’t last.
In a Sentence: All our efforts were like writing in the sand. / Promises from him feel like writing in the sand.
Other Ways to Say: Temporary, Fragile work
42. Fighting a losing battle
Meaning: Engaging in a struggle that’s already doomed.
In a Sentence: Arguing with her was fighting a losing battle. / I’m fighting a losing battle trying to fix this old laptop.
Other Ways to Say: Hopeless effort, Wasting energy
43. Feeding a black hole
Meaning: Putting effort into something that keeps taking more without return.
In a Sentence: That project is like feeding a black hole — it never ends. / Fixing that car is feeding a black hole.
Other Ways to Say: Endless effort, Drain
44. Breaking water with a sword
Meaning: Doing something that has no effect.
In a Sentence: Your threats are like breaking water with a sword. / His apology felt like breaking water — no real change.
Other Ways to Say: Ineffective, Pointless action
45. Kicking the air
Meaning: Acting in frustration with no effect.
In a Sentence: His protest felt like kicking the air — nothing changed. / She kept complaining but it was like kicking the air.
Other Ways to Say: Useless action, Vain effort
46. Throwing darts in the dark
Meaning: Trying blindly without direction.
In a Sentence: We’re throwing darts in the dark with this strategy. / Without research, you’re just throwing darts.
Other Ways to Say: Guessing, No clear plan
47. A fool’s errand
Meaning: A pointless or hopeless mission.
In a Sentence: Delivering that package to a closed office was a fool’s errand. / Looking for him at midnight was a fool’s errand.
Other Ways to Say: Waste of time, Hopeless task
48. As useful as a chocolate teapot
Meaning: Completely useless.
In a Sentence: That broken phone is as useful as a chocolate teapot. / His advice was as useful as a chocolate teapot.
Other Ways to Say: Worthless, Pointless
49. Catching lightning in a bottle
Meaning: Trying to achieve a rare or impossible success.
In a Sentence: Creating another viral app is like catching lightning in a bottle. / That success was catching lightning in a bottle.
Other Ways to Say: Rare success, Almost impossible
50. Digging water with a basket
Meaning: Putting in effort that will never pay off.
In a Sentence: Trying to fix the leak with tape is like digging water with a basket. / That method is just digging water with a basket.
Other Ways to Say: Wasteful, Ineffective
