50 Idioms for Impossible Situations With Meanings & Sentences
Idioms for Impossible Situations
1. When pigs fly
Meaning: Something that will never happen.
In a Sentence: “He’ll clean his room without being asked? That’ll happen when pigs fly.” / “Sure, I’ll believe it when pigs fly.”
Other Ways to Say: Never ever, Not going to happen
2. A snowball’s chance in hell
Meaning: Very little or no chance of success.
In a Sentence: “She has a snowball’s chance in hell of finishing that project on time.” / “Winning the lottery is like a snowball’s chance in hell.”
Other Ways to Say: Nearly impossible, No chance at all
3. Catch a falling star
Meaning: Attempting something unrealistic or magical.
In a Sentence: “Trying to be perfect in everything is like trying to catch a falling star.”
Other Ways to Say: Unrealistic goal, Wishful thinking
4. Build castles in the air
Meaning: Making plans that are unrealistic or impossible.
In a Sentence: “He’s building castles in the air by thinking he’ll become a superhero.” / “Dreaming about winning the lottery without a ticket is like building castles in the air.”
Other Ways to Say: Daydreaming, Unrealistic dreams
5. Climb a slippery slope
Meaning: Trying to achieve something very difficult or dangerous.
In a Sentence: “Starting a business without any knowledge can be like climbing a slippery slope.”
Other Ways to Say: Difficult task, Risky path
6. Go against the tide
Meaning: Doing something extremely difficult or unpopular.
In a Sentence: “Convincing the class to stop using phones during lunch feels like going against the tide.” / “She’s trying to change the rules, which is like going against the tide.”
Other Ways to Say: Swimming upstream, Fighting the current
7. Herd cats
Meaning: Trying to manage something unmanageable.
In a Sentence: “Getting kids to sit still during the assembly was like herding cats.”
Other Ways to Say: Impossible task, Chaotic effort
8. Chase rainbows
Meaning: Pursue unrealistic dreams.
In a Sentence: “He’s chasing rainbows by applying to five jobs without qualifications.”
Other Ways to Say: Unrealistic hopes, Fool’s errand
9. Like squeezing blood from a stone
Meaning: Trying to get something from someone who won’t give it.
In a Sentence: “Getting him to apologize is like squeezing blood from a stone.”
Other Ways to Say: Hopeless task, No chance
10. A dead end
Meaning: A situation with no progress or success possible.
In a Sentence: “This business plan is a dead end if we don’t change direction.”
Other Ways to Say: No way forward, Going nowhere
11. No-win situation
Meaning: A situation where every option leads to failure.
In a Sentence: “Arguing with both friends is a no-win situation.”
Other Ways to Say: Lose-lose, Hopeless scenario
12. Up a creek without a paddle
Meaning: In a bad situation without any help.
In a Sentence: “I forgot my homework and the teacher’s strict—I’m up a creek without a paddle.”
Other Ways to Say: Stuck, In deep trouble
13. Hitting a brick wall
Meaning: Reaching a point where progress is no longer possible.
In a Sentence: “I’ve tried everything to fix the computer, but I keep hitting a brick wall.”
Other Ways to Say: No progress, Blocked path
14. Mission impossible
Meaning: A task that cannot be done.
In a Sentence: “Cleaning the entire house in ten minutes is mission impossible.”
Other Ways to Say: Unreachable goal, Impossible challenge
15. Barking at the moon
Meaning: Wasting time doing something pointless.
In a Sentence: “Trying to change his mind is like barking at the moon.”
Other Ways to Say: Useless effort, Futile action
16. Like pulling teeth
Meaning: Very difficult to do.
In a Sentence: “Getting my brother to help with chores is like pulling teeth.”
Other Ways to Say: Painful process, Extremely hard
17. A tall order
Meaning: A request that’s very hard to fulfill.
In a Sentence: “Finishing all this work in an hour is a tall order.”
Other Ways to Say: Big ask, Difficult request
18. As likely as winning the lottery
Meaning: Extremely unlikely.
In a Sentence: “Getting chosen for the trip is as likely as winning the lottery.”
Other Ways to Say: Slim chance, Rare possibility
19. Like finding a needle in a haystack
Meaning: Nearly impossible to find something.
In a Sentence: “Looking for my earring in the grass is like finding a needle in a haystack.”
Other Ways to Say: Extremely difficult, Nearly hopeless
20. Fighting a losing battle
Meaning: Trying hard but having no chance of success.
In a Sentence: “He’s fighting a losing battle trying to keep the old car running.”
Other Ways to Say: Hopeless effort, Wasting energy
21. Run into a brick wall
Meaning: Encounter a difficult obstacle.
In a Sentence: “Our plans ran into a brick wall when we lost funding.”
Other Ways to Say: Hit a dead end, Stopped cold
22. Shoot for the stars
Meaning: Attempt something extremely ambitious.
In a Sentence: “Trying to become the next Einstein is really shooting for the stars.”
Other Ways to Say: Dream big, Aim high (but hard)
23. Dig your own grave
Meaning: Make things worse for yourself.
In a Sentence: “By lying, he’s just digging his own grave.”
Other Ways to Say: Make it harder, Self-sabotage
24. Pie in the sky
Meaning: A hope or plan that’s unlikely to happen.
In a Sentence: “That invention idea sounds like pie in the sky.”
Other Ways to Say: Unrealistic, Just a dream
25. On a wild goose chase
Meaning: On a pointless or impossible search.
In a Sentence: “We searched for hours, but it was just a wild goose chase.”
Other Ways to Say: Futile search, Pointless effort
26. Climb a greased pole
Meaning: To try to achieve something extremely difficult or nearly impossible.
In a Sentence: Getting a promotion in that company is like trying to climb a greased pole.
Other Ways to Say: Face an uphill battle, Fight a losing battle
27. A shot in the dark
Meaning: An attempt that is unlikely to succeed.
In a Sentence: Applying for that job with no experience was a shot in the dark.
Other Ways to Say: Long shot, Wild guess
28. Catch the wind
Meaning: To try to achieve the unachievable.
In a Sentence: Trying to fix the weather is like trying to catch the wind.
Other Ways to Say: Chase the impossible, Futile attempt
29. Beat a dead horse
Meaning: To continue trying something that’s already failed.
In a Sentence: Arguing about it now is just beating a dead horse.
Other Ways to Say: Waste time, Pointless effort
30. Swim upstream
Meaning: To go against strong opposition or obstacles.
In a Sentence: She’s swimming upstream trying to reform the system alone.
Other Ways to Say: Go against the current, Resist the flow
31. Spitting into the wind
Meaning: Doing something pointless or self-defeating.
In a Sentence: Trying to change his mind is like spitting into the wind.
Other Ways to Say: Useless effort, Self-sabotage
32. Reach for the stars
Meaning: To try for something incredibly difficult or ambitious.
In a Sentence: He’s reaching for the stars by applying to every top university.
Other Ways to Say: Dream big, Aim impossibly high
33. Cry for the moon
Meaning: To desire something unattainable.
In a Sentence: Wanting a unicorn for your birthday is crying for the moon.
Other Ways to Say: Ask for the impossible, Wishful thinking
34. As likely as pigs flying
Meaning: Something that will never happen.
In a Sentence: Me cleaning my room without being asked? When pigs fly!
Other Ways to Say: Never going to happen, No chance
35. Walk through fire
Meaning: To endure extreme difficulty or danger.
In a Sentence: She walked through fire trying to save her brother.
Other Ways to Say: Brave the worst, Face extreme hardship
36. Ice skate uphill
Meaning: To try something incredibly difficult or doomed.
In a Sentence: Arguing with her is like ice skating uphill.
Other Ways to Say: Fight a losing battle, Pointless challenge
37. Catch lightning in a bottle
Meaning: To achieve something very rare or unlikely.
In a Sentence: That invention caught lightning in a bottle—it was pure genius.
Other Ways to Say: Rare success, One in a million
38. Herd cats
Meaning: To try to control something chaotic or impossible.
In a Sentence: Getting preschoolers to sit still is like herding cats.
Other Ways to Say: Impossible task, Total chaos
39. Get blood from a stone
Meaning: To try to get something from someone who can’t or won’t give it.
In a Sentence: Asking him to donate is like trying to get blood from a stone.
Other Ways to Say: Futile request, Hopeless
40. Push water uphill
Meaning: Trying to do something extremely difficult or unnatural.
In a Sentence: Convincing them to change is like pushing water uphill.
Other Ways to Say: Unmanageable task, Against nature
41. A bridge too far
Meaning: An effort that is overly ambitious and likely to fail.
In a Sentence: Trying to do all that in one day was a bridge too far.
Other Ways to Say: Overreaching, Unrealistic
42. Move mountains
Meaning: To try to achieve the impossible.
In a Sentence: She’s trying to move mountains to bring change to her community.
Other Ways to Say: Attempt the impossible, Do miracles
43. Chasing your tail
Meaning: Being busy but achieving nothing.
In a Sentence: He’s been chasing his tail all day with no results.
Other Ways to Say: Going in circles, Wasting time
44. Hit a brick wall
Meaning: To reach an obstacle you can’t pass.
In a Sentence: I hit a brick wall when I tried to access the data.
Other Ways to Say: Get stuck, Reach a dead end
45. Square peg in a round hole
Meaning: Someone or something that doesn’t fit.
In a Sentence: He’s like a square peg in a round hole in that job.
Other Ways to Say: Doesn’t belong, Misfit
46. Grasp at straws
Meaning: Making a desperate or hopeless attempt.
In a Sentence: He was grasping at straws to find an excuse.
Other Ways to Say: Desperate try, Clutch at hope
47. Wish upon a star
Meaning: To hope for something unrealistic.
In a Sentence: Wishing she’d forgive you now is just wishing upon a star.
Other Ways to Say: Unrealistic hope, Hopeless dream
48. Don Quixote’s quest
Meaning: Pursuing noble but impossible dreams.
In a Sentence: Fighting corruption alone is like Don Quixote’s quest.
Other Ways to Say: Fool’s mission, Noble but doomed
49. The odds are stacked against
Meaning: Facing overwhelming challenges.
In a Sentence: The odds are stacked against him winning the race.
Other Ways to Say: Unfavorable chances, Low probability
50. Mission impossible
Meaning: A task too difficult to succeed.
In a Sentence: Cleaning the house before guests arrive feels like mission impossible.
Other Ways to Say: Impossible job, No-win situation
