Have you ever tried explaining something to someone who just won’t listen? Or worked on a project that seemed doomed from the start? We’ve all been there. And when regular words fall short, idioms for futility come to the rescue.
These colorful expressions capture that universal human experience of banging your head against a wall—sometimes literally! They’re the linguistic equivalent of throwing your hands up in the air and saying, “This is hopeless!”
Why do we love these idioms so much? Simple. They turn frustration into art. Instead of just saying “this won’t work,” you can paint a vivid picture: “It’s like trying to nail jelly to a wall.” Suddenly, your listener can feel your exasperation.
Think about it. When your friend keeps dating the same type of person who always breaks their heart, you could give them a lecture. Or you could simply say, “You’re beating a dead horse.” Both get the message across, but one sticks in their memory.
From the barnyard to the ocean, from ancient windmills to modern construction sites, human creativity has found futility everywhere. We’ve turned impossible tasks into memorable phrases that make our conversations more colorful and our writing more engaging.
Ready to explore the most creative ways to express impossibility? From beating a dead horse to herding cats, let’s dive into over 70 idioms that turn hopeless situations into unforgettable expressions.
Categories of Idioms for Futility
Beating a Dead Horse Variants
Let’s start with the classics—the idioms that have been around long enough to become household names.
1. Beating a Dead Horse
Meaning: Wasting effort on something that’s already settled or discussing something that’s beyond hope of resolution.
Picture this: You’re in a meeting where your colleague keeps bringing up a project that was cancelled three months ago. Everyone’s rolling their eyes because the decision is final, the budget is gone, and the client has moved on. That’s beating a dead horse.
Example: “Look, I know you loved that marketing campaign idea, but the CEO rejected it twice. Bringing it up again is just beating a dead horse.”
Alternatives: Flogging a dead horse, harping on, rehashing old news.
2. Flogging a Dead Horse
Meaning: The British cousin of “beating a dead horse”—same meaning, different flavor.
This version sounds a bit more dramatic, doesn’t it? “Flogging” has that old-world punishment feel to it. Your British friends might raise an eyebrow if you use “beating,” but they’ll nod knowingly at “flogging.”
Example: “Negotiating with that supplier again feels like flogging a dead horse—they’ve made it clear they won’t budge on price.”
Alternatives: Wasting breath, pointless arguing, tilting at windmills.
The beauty of these “dead horse” idioms? Everyone instantly gets the picture. No one would actually waste time trying to motivate a deceased horse, so why waste time on equally hopeless endeavors?
Water / Ocean Imagery
Water has always fascinated humans, and it’s given us some of the most vivid futility idioms. There’s something poetic about the impossibility of controlling water—it slips through our fingers, flows where it wants, and laughs at our attempts to contain it.
3. Pouring Water into a Sieve
Meaning: Attempting something that’s inherently impossible due to structural flaws.
Have you ever watched a toddler try to fill a colander with water at the beach? They pour and pour, completely baffled by where the water keeps going. That’s the charm of this idiom—it captures that innocent confusion we all feel when facing certain tasks.
Example: “Teaching him to manage money is like pouring water into a sieve—he spends it faster than he can earn it.”
Alternatives: Throwing money down the drain, filling a broken bucket.
4. Emptying the Ocean with a Spoon
Meaning: Tackling a task so massive that your effort seems laughably inadequate.
This one hits different, doesn’t it? It’s not just impossible—it’s comically impossible. Imagine standing on a beach with a teaspoon, determined to drain the Pacific. That’s the level of mismatch we’re talking about.
Example: “With only two volunteers, organizing this city-wide cleanup feels like emptying the ocean with a spoon.”
Alternatives: Moving mountains with a shovel, counting grains of sand.
5. Digging a Hole in Water
Meaning: Trying to create something permanent in a medium that won’t hold it.
Water always returns to its level. You can’t scar it, dent it, or make it hold a shape. This idiom perfectly captures efforts that leave no lasting impact—like trying to build a reputation with someone who’s already made up their mind about you.
Example: “Trying to establish credibility with that critic is like digging a hole in water—nothing sticks.”
Alternatives: Writing on water, building sandcastles at high tide.
6. Hammering on Water
Meaning: Applying force to something that can’t be shaped or influenced.
Ever seen someone get increasingly frustrated with a task that requires finesse, not force? They keep hammering away, getting angrier and more ineffective. That’s this idiom in action.
Example: “His aggressive sales tactics were like hammering on water—the more pressure he applied, the more resistant the client became.”
Alternatives: Punching fog, wrestling shadows.
7. Writing on Water
Meaning: Creating something that will disappear immediately or have no lasting effect.
This idiom has ancient roots. The Romans used to say “scribit in aqua,” meaning the same thing. It’s beautiful and melancholy—the act of writing suggests intention and hope, but water ensures it’s all temporary.
Example: “His promises to change were like writing on water—gone the moment he faced temptation again.”
Alternatives: Building castles in the air, drawing lines in sand.
8. Rowing Against the Current
Meaning: Fighting against natural forces or established trends that will ultimately overpower your efforts.
Anyone who’s been in a canoe knows this feeling. You can row hard and make progress, but stop for a moment to catch your breath, and you’re right back where you started—or worse.
Example: “Launching a new social media platform now is like rowing against the current—the big players have too much momentum.”
Alternatives: Swimming upstream, pushing water uphill.
9. Pushing Water Uphill
Meaning: Attempting something that goes against natural laws or established order.
Water flows downhill. It’s not being stubborn or difficult—it’s just following physics. This idiom captures those moments when we’re fighting against something as fundamental as gravity itself.
Example: “Getting teenagers to wake up early on weekends is like pushing water uphill—you’re fighting biology itself.”
Alternatives: Defying gravity, rowing against the tide.
10. Pouring Salt into the Ocean
Meaning: Adding something that makes no measurable difference to something already vast.
The ocean is already salty. Adding more salt won’t make it saltier in any noticeable way. This idiom is perfect for describing contributions that get swallowed up by the sheer scale of what already exists.
Example: “My small donation felt like pouring salt into the ocean—they need millions, not hundreds.”
Alternatives: A drop in the bucket, spitting in the wind.
11. Pulling Water out of a Stone
Meaning: Trying to extract something from a source that simply doesn’t have it.
This is the water version of “getting blood from a stone.” It’s not that the stone is being uncooperative—it literally doesn’t contain what you’re looking for.
Example: “Asking him for emotional support is like pulling water out of a stone—he just doesn’t have it in him.”
Alternatives: Getting blood from a turnip, milking a bull.
12. A Drop in the Ocean
Meaning: An effort or contribution so small compared to what’s needed that it’s essentially meaningless.
This one stings because it often describes genuine efforts that just aren’t enough. It’s not about laziness or lack of trying—sometimes the problem is just too big for individual action.
Example: “The company’s new recycling program is a drop in the ocean compared to their overall environmental impact.”
Alternatives: A drop in the bucket, barely scratching the surface.
Water imagery works so well for futility because water is both essential and uncontrollable. We need it, we use it, but we can never truly master it—just like many challenges in life.
Wind / Air Imagery
Wind is invisible, unpredictable, and impossible to grab. It’s the perfect metaphor for efforts that seem to vanish into thin air. These idioms capture that frustrating feeling of putting energy into something that just… disappears.
13. Spitting in the Wind
Meaning: Taking action that will inevitably backfire or harm you more than your target.
This idiom is beautifully practical. Anyone who’s tried this knows exactly what happens—the wind blows it right back in your face. It’s nature’s way of teaching us about unintended consequences.
Example: “Criticizing the boss in front of his favorite employees is like spitting in the wind—it’ll come back to hit you.”
Alternatives: Shooting yourself in the foot, cutting off your nose to spite your face.
14. Whistling in the Wind
Meaning: Trying to communicate or get attention from someone who can’t or won’t hear you.
Have you ever tried to call someone’s name in a strong wind? Your words just get carried away, no matter how loudly you shout. That’s the loneliness captured in this idiom.
Example: “Sending complaint emails to that company’s customer service is like whistling in the wind—they never respond.”
Alternatives: Talking to a brick wall, shouting into the void.
15. Blowing Against the Wind
Meaning: Working directly against forces much stronger than yourself.
This idiom suggests not just futility, but exhaustion. You’re not making progress, and you’re wearing yourself out in the process. It’s the effort that kills you, not the failure.
Example: “Starting a small bookstore chain when Amazon dominates is like blowing against the wind.”
Alternatives: Swimming upstream, fighting a losing battle.
16. Chasing the Wind
Meaning: Pursuing something that can never be caught or achieved.
Wind moves faster than we can run, changes direction without warning, and has no solid form to grasp. This idiom appears in ancient texts because humans have always recognized the futility of chasing the intangible.
Example: “His search for the perfect job became like chasing the wind—every opportunity seemed perfect until he got closer.”
Alternatives: Chasing rainbows, grasping at straws.
17. Throwing Caution to the Wind
Meaning: Abandoning careful planning in favor of reckless action (often futile because it ignores necessary precautions).
This one’s interesting because it describes the moment people give up on sensible futility and embrace reckless futility instead. It’s the verbal equivalent of saying “screw it, what’s the worst that could happen?”
Example: “After months of careful job hunting, he threw caution to the wind and quit without a backup plan.”
Alternatives: Burning bridges, going all-in, taking a leap of faith.
Wind idioms work because wind represents everything we can’t control—it’s powerful, ever-changing, and completely indifferent to our plans.
Illusions / Impossible Quests
Some of the most poetic futility idioms come from humanity’s long history of pursuing the impossible. These expressions carry the weight of dreams, the beauty of ambition, and the gentle sadness of recognizing when something can never be achieved.
18. Chasing Rainbows
Meaning: Pursuing beautiful but unattainable goals, often ignoring more practical opportunities.
Rainbows have enchanted humans forever. They’re gorgeous, they seem almost within reach, and they promise treasure at their end. But get close to one, and it moves away. It’s the perfect metaphor for those dreams that inspire us but can never be grasped.
Example: “She spent years chasing rainbows in Hollywood while her teaching degree collected dust.”
Alternatives: Tilting at windmills, building castles in the air.
19. A Wild Goose Chase
Meaning: A pursuit that’s not only futile but also based on false information or unrealistic expectations.
This idiom has royal origins! It comes from a 16th-century horse racing game where riders had to follow a leader in formation, like geese in flight. If the leader took them on an impossible route, it became a “wild goose chase.”
Example: “The treasure map his grandfather left turned out to be a wild goose chase—just a prank from decades ago.”
Alternatives: Snipe hunt, fool’s errand, red herring.
20. Tilting at Windmills
Meaning: Attacking imaginary enemies or fighting battles that can’t be won.
Don Quixote gave us this one. Picture the deluded knight charging at windmills, convinced they’re giants. It’s both tragic and heroic—the pursuit of justice in a world where justice seems impossible.
Example: “His crusade against social media feels like tilting at windmills—the platforms are too powerful to change.”
Alternatives: Fighting ghosts, chasing shadows, battling demons.
21. A Fool’s Errand
Meaning: A task that’s inherently pointless or impossible, often given to someone as a prank or test.
This idiom has a cruel edge to it. It’s not just futile—it’s designed to be futile. Someone somewhere is probably laughing at your efforts.
Example: “The intern realized that searching for ‘left-handed screwdrivers’ was a fool’s errand after an hour of confusion.”
Alternatives: Snipe hunt, wild goose chase, practical joke.
22. Trying to Square the Circle
Meaning: Attempting to solve a problem that’s mathematically or logically impossible.
Ancient mathematicians literally tried to square the circle—create a square with the same area as a given circle using only a compass and straightedge. It’s been proven impossible, but the phrase lives on for any similarly impossible problem.
Example: “Balancing the budget while cutting taxes and increasing spending is like trying to square the circle.”
Alternatives: Solving the unsolvable, finding a logical contradiction.
23. Climbing a Greased Pole
Meaning: Attempting something where the conditions are designed to make success impossible.
Picture a carnival game where the pole is covered in grease. No matter how strong or determined you are, you’re fighting against physics. Sometimes life feels like that—rigged against success.
Example: “Getting promoted in that company without connections is like climbing a greased pole.”
Alternatives: Swimming in molasses, running uphill in mud.
These idioms remind us that humanity has always dreamed big and often failed spectacularly. But there’s beauty in the trying, even when the task is impossible.
Futile Effort (Crafting / Building / Fixing)
Some of the most vivid futility idioms come from the workshop, the construction site, and the kitchen. These expressions capture the frustration of trying to create, build, or fix something when you’re missing essential elements or working with impossible materials.
24. Trying to Nail Jelly to a Wall
Meaning: Attempting to secure or fix something that’s inherently impossible to pin down.
This idiom is beautifully absurd. Jelly is soft, slippery, and shapeless. Nails are hard, sharp, and designed for solid materials. The mismatch is so complete it’s almost funny—almost.
Example: “Getting my teenage daughter to commit to weekend plans is like trying to nail jelly to a wall.”
Alternatives: Herding cats, nailing down smoke, pinning down fog.
25. Making a Rope Out of Sand
Meaning: Trying to create something strong and useful from materials that lack the necessary properties.
Sand is perfect for beaches and hourglasses, terrible for rope-making. Each grain is independent, refusing to bind with its neighbors. This idiom captures efforts to create strength from inherent weakness.
Example: “Building team unity with employees who hate each other is like making a rope out of sand.”
Alternatives: Building with water, weaving with smoke.
26. Sewing with No Thread
Meaning: Attempting to accomplish something while missing a crucial component.
Every seamstress knows this frustration—you have fabric, needle, pattern, and skill, but without thread, you’re going nowhere. It’s the missing piece that makes all other efforts worthless.
Example: “Planning the perfect wedding without a budget is like sewing with no thread.”
Alternatives: Cooking without heat, painting without brushes.
27. Cooking Without Heat
Meaning: Trying to complete a process while lacking the essential catalyst or energy source.
You can have the best ingredients, the perfect recipe, and years of experience, but without heat, you’re just mixing cold ingredients. Some processes require transformation that only comes from the right conditions.
Example: “Trying to motivate the team without offering any incentives is like cooking without heat.”
Alternatives: Driving without fuel, flying without wings.
28. Building Castles in the Air
Meaning: Creating elaborate plans or dreams that have no foundation in reality.
This idiom is almost romantic in its impossibility. Castles are grand and beautiful, air is light and free, but together they represent dreams that can never touch the ground.
Example: “His retirement plans were just building castles in the air—he’d never saved enough money to make them real.”
Alternatives: Pipe dreams, fantasies, wishful thinking.
29. Filling a Basket with Fog
Meaning: Trying to capture or contain something that’s inherently intangible.
Fog is visible but not solid, present but not graspable. This idiom perfectly describes efforts to make concrete plans with abstract concepts or vague promises.
Example: “Getting clear answers from that politician is like filling a basket with fog.”
Alternatives: Catching smoke, grasping shadows, bottling air.
30. Filling a Bucket with a Hole in It
Meaning: Working on something that has a fundamental flaw that prevents success.
This one hits hard because you’re actually making progress—the water goes in, you can see the level rising—but then it all drains away. It’s the futility of effort undermined by structural problems.
Example: “Saving money while keeping all those subscription services is like filling a bucket with a hole in it.”
Alternatives: Pouring water into a sieve, patching a sinking ship.
31. Painting Over Rust
Meaning: Trying to fix a superficial problem while ignoring the underlying cause.
Paint makes rust look better temporarily, but the corrosion continues underneath. This idiom captures those moments when we address symptoms while ignoring disease.
Example: “Hiring more customer service reps won’t help if the product is fundamentally flawed—that’s just painting over rust.”
Alternatives: Putting lipstick on a pig, band-aid solutions.
32. Washing the Same Spot Forever
Meaning: Repeating an action obsessively without making any real progress.
Picture someone scrubbing one spot on a wall for hours, convinced it’s still dirty. The spot is clean, but they can’t stop. This idiom captures the futility of perfectionism taken too far.
Example: “He keeps revising the same paragraph in his novel—it’s like washing the same spot forever.”
Alternatives: Beating a dead horse, going in circles.
33. Drying Clothes in the Rain
Meaning: Trying to accomplish something while the conditions actively work against you.
Rain and clothes-drying are natural enemies. This idiom captures those situations where the environment itself makes success impossible, no matter how much effort you put in.
Example: “Trying to have a quiet conversation at that rock concert was like drying clothes in the rain.”
Alternatives: Swimming upstream, rowing against the current.
These crafting and building idioms work so well because they draw from universal human experiences. We’ve all tried to fix something, build something, or create something, and we’ve all faced that moment when we realize we’re missing something essential.
Wasting Resources
Nothing stings quite like watching resources disappear without any benefit. These idioms capture the particular frustration of knowing you’re throwing away something valuable—time, money, effort—on something that can’t possibly succeed.
34. Throwing Money Down the Drain
Meaning: Wasting financial resources on something that provides no return or benefit.
This idiom is painfully visual. You can almost hear the coins clinking against the pipe walls as they disappear forever. It’s money that’s not just lost—it’s actively disposed of.
Example: “Buying lottery tickets every week is like throwing money down the drain—the odds are astronomical.”
Alternatives: Burning money, flushing cash, pouring money into a black hole.
35. Throwing Good Money After Bad
Meaning: Continuing to invest resources in a failing venture because you’ve already invested so much.
This idiom captures the psychology of sunk costs. You know the situation is hopeless, but you’ve already put so much in that stopping feels like admitting total failure.
Example: “The restaurant was clearly failing, but he kept throwing good money after bad, hoping to turn it around.”
Alternatives: Doubling down on a losing hand, digging a deeper hole.
36. Pouring Coffee into a Broken Cup
Meaning: Adding resources to something that can’t hold or use them effectively.
Coffee is precious, especially first thing in the morning. A broken cup can’t fulfill its basic function. This idiom captures the frustration of wasting something valuable because the container or system is flawed.
Example: “Training employees who are already planning to quit next month is like pouring coffee into a broken cup.”
Alternatives: Filling a leaky bucket, watering a dead plant.
37. Watering a Dead Plant
Meaning: Continuing to nurture something that’s already beyond help.
We’ve all done this—kept watering a plant that’s clearly dead, hoping somehow our care will bring it back. It’s hope mixed with denial, and it never works.
Example: “Staying in that toxic relationship was like watering a dead plant—all my effort couldn’t bring it back to life.”
Alternatives: Beating a dead horse, flogging a corpse.
38. Shoveling Snow in a Blizzard
Meaning: Trying to make progress on a task while conditions are actively making it impossible.
Picture yourself with a shovel, clearing your driveway while snow continues to fall heavily. Every shovelful you remove is immediately replaced by more snow. It’s Sisyphean in its hopelessness.
Example: “Trying to clean the house with toddlers around is like shoveling snow in a blizzard.”
Alternatives: Swimming against the tide, running on a treadmill.
39. Pouring Paint on the Ocean
Meaning: Using resources on such a vast problem that your contribution becomes meaningless.
This idiom combines waste with scale. Paint is expensive and useful, but pour it into the ocean and it disappears without a trace. It’s not just futile—it’s environmentally destructive futility.
Example: “His small charity felt like pouring paint on the ocean when he saw the scale of global poverty.”
Alternatives: Drop in the ocean, spitting in the wind.
These resource-wasting idioms hurt because they remind us of our limitations. Sometimes the smartest thing to do is recognize when to stop throwing good resources after bad—but that recognition often comes too late.
Futile Searching / Hunting
The hunt is one of humanity’s oldest activities, so naturally, we’ve developed plenty of idioms about searches that can never succeed. These expressions capture the exhausting, sometimes comical futility of looking for something that can’t be found.
40. Fishing Without Bait
Meaning: Attempting something while lacking the essential element needed to attract or achieve success.
Every angler knows that fish are attracted to bait. Without it, you’re just dangling an empty hook in the water, hoping fish will impale themselves out of curiosity. It rarely works.
Example: “Trying to hire talented employees without offering competitive salaries is like fishing without bait.”
Alternatives: Hunting without ammunition, shopping without money.
41. Fishing Without a Hook
Meaning: Going through the motions of an activity while missing the crucial component that makes success possible.
This is even more futile than fishing without bait. At least with no bait, there’s a theoretical chance a hungry fish might bite the bare hook. Without a hook, even perfect bait won’t help you catch anything.
Example: “Networking at events without business cards is like fishing without a hook.”
Alternatives: Playing poker without cards, racing without wheels.
42. Trying to Catch Smoke with Your Hands
Meaning: Attempting to grasp or control something that’s inherently intangible.
Smoke is visible, so it seems like you should be able to grab it. But cup your hands around it, and it slips right through your fingers. This idiom captures the frustration of dealing with elusive problems or people.
Example: “Getting a straight answer from that politician is like trying to catch smoke with your hands.”
Alternatives: Grasping at shadows, nailing jelly to a wall.
43. Running in Circles
Meaning: Expending energy on activities that don’t lead to progress.
This idiom is brutally efficient in its imagery. You’re moving, you’re working hard, you might even be sweating, but you keep ending up exactly where you started. It’s motion without progress.
Example: “The committee has been running in circles for months without making any real decisions.”
Alternatives: Spinning your wheels, chasing your tail.
44. Chasing Your Tail
Meaning: Pursuing something that leads you back to where you started, often with increasing frustration.
Dogs do this, and it’s cute for about thirty seconds. Then it becomes concerning. Humans do this too, but it’s rarely cute—just exhausting and pointless.
Example: “Trying to fix the software bug created three new bugs, and now I’m just chasing my tail.”
Alternatives: Running in circles, going around in loops.
45. Barking up the Wrong Tree
Meaning: Pursuing a course of action based on incorrect assumptions about where the solution lies.
This hunting idiom comes from raccoon hunting with dogs. Sometimes the dogs would lose the scent and bark at the wrong tree while the raccoon escaped. It’s not just futile—it’s confidently, loudly futile.
Example: “If you think the budget problems are caused by office supplies, you’re barking up the wrong tree.”
Alternatives: Looking in all the wrong places, following a false lead.
These hunting and searching idioms remind us that success often requires not just effort, but the right tools, the right direction, and the right understanding of what we’re actually looking for.
Reaching the Unreachable
Some things are simply beyond human reach, no matter how much we stretch, jump, or strain. These idioms capture our relationship with the impossible—those moments when we’re trying to touch the untouchable or influence the unchangeable.
46. Barking at the Moon
Meaning: Raging at something completely beyond your influence or control.
Dogs have been barking at the moon for millennia, and the moon has remained entirely unimpressed. This idiom captures the particular frustration of getting angry at something that can’t hear you and wouldn’t care if it could.
Example: “Complaining about the weather is just barking at the moon—it’s going to do what it wants regardless.”
Alternatives: Shouting at the wind, raging against fate.
47. Throwing Stones at the Moon
Meaning: Attempting to attack or damage something so far beyond your reach that your efforts are laughable.
At least when you bark at the moon, you’re not wasting physical resources. Throwing stones adds the element of actual loss—you’re using up ammunition that could be put to better use elsewhere.
Example: “His lawsuit against the tech giant was like throwing stones at the moon—they had infinite legal resources.”
Alternatives: David versus Goliath (but without the slingshot skills), fighting windmills.
48. Winking at the Sun
Meaning: Trying to flirt with or charm something that’s completely indifferent to your efforts.
This idiom has a playful quality that makes the futility almost endearing. The sun doesn’t care about your wink, but there’s something charmingly optimistic about the attempt.
Example: “Trying to get a discount from that automated billing system is like winking at the sun.”
Alternatives: Flirting with a brick wall, charming a robot.
49. Blowing Out a Light with Your Breath in a Storm
Meaning: Attempting something delicate or precise while powerful forces make it impossible.
This idiom combines two types of futility: the light might be too strong to blow out anyway, and the storm makes your breath irrelevant. It’s futility compounded by impossible conditions.
Example: “Trying to have a nuanced political discussion on social media is like blowing out a light with your breath in a storm.”
Alternatives: Whispering in a hurricane, threading a needle in an earthquake.
These “unreachable” idioms remind us of our place in the cosmos. Sometimes the smartest response to the impossible isn’t to keep trying—it’s to redirect our energy toward things we can actually influence.
Obstacles / Dead Ends
Sometimes futility isn’t about chasing the impossible—it’s about running smack into something that simply won’t budge. These idioms capture the bruising reality of immovable obstacles and the stubborn human tendency to keep pushing anyway.
50. Beating Your Head Against a Wall
Meaning: Repeatedly attempting something that causes you pain without producing results.
This idiom is viscerally uncomfortable because most of us can imagine the sensation. It’s not just futile—it’s self-destructive futility. You’re not just failing; you’re hurting yourself in the process.
Example: “Trying to reason with him when he’s already made up his mind is like beating your head against a wall.”
Alternatives: Banging your head on a brick wall, punching a stone wall.
51. Hitting a Brick Wall
Meaning: Encountering an obstacle that completely stops your progress.
Brick walls are specifically designed to stop things—arrows, battering rams, unwanted visitors. When you hit one metaphorically, it means you’ve found the absolute limit of what’s possible in your current approach.
Example: “My research was going well until I hit a brick wall—the records I needed had been destroyed in a fire.”
Alternatives: Running into a dead end, reaching an impasse.
52. Biting Off More Than You Can Chew
Meaning: Attempting something that exceeds your abilities or resources.
This idiom comes from the practical experience of taking too large a bite of food. Your mouth is only so big, your jaw muscles only so strong. Exceed those limits, and you’re in trouble.
Example: “Taking on three major projects simultaneously turned out to be biting off more than I could chew.”
Alternatives: Overreaching, stretching too thin, being in over your head.
53. Kicking Against the Pricks
Meaning: Uselessly resisting authority or fighting against something that will only cause you more pain.
This biblical idiom refers to oxen kicking against the sharp goads used to direct them. The more they resist, the more they hurt themselves. It’s futility with a side of self-inflicted wounds.
Example: “Arguing with the IRS about tax law is like kicking against the pricks—you’ll just make things worse for yourself.”
Alternatives: Fighting city hall, tilting at windmills, spitting in the wind.
These obstacle idioms capture a particular kind of frustration—the moment when forward momentum meets immovable reality. Sometimes the wisest thing to do is stop pushing and look for another path.
Other Colorful Expressions
Some futility idioms don’t fit neatly into categories—they’re one-of-a-kind expressions that capture unique shades of impossibility. These are the mavericks of the futility world, each telling its own story about human ambition meeting harsh reality.
54. Carrying Coals to Newcastle
Meaning: Doing something completely unnecessary because the recipient already has plenty of what you’re offering.
Newcastle was famous for its coal mines. Bringing coal there would be like bringing sand to a beach or ice to Antarctica. This idiom captures the futility of redundancy—effort that’s pointless because it’s already been done.
Example: “Teaching a master chef how to boil water is like carrying coals to Newcastle.”
Alternatives: Bringing sand to the beach, teaching grandmother to suck eggs.
55. Herding Cats
Meaning: Trying to organize or control people or things that are inherently independent and uncooperative.
Have you ever tried to herd actual cats? They scatter in all directions, ignore your calls, and seem to take perverse pleasure in doing the opposite of what you want. This idiom perfectly captures the frustration of managing chaotic groups.
Example: “Getting all the department heads to agree on a meeting time is like herding cats.”
Alternatives: Nailing jelly to a wall, organizing chaos.
56. Plowing the Sea
Meaning: Working hard on something that will show no lasting results.
The sea always returns to its original state. You can disturb it temporarily, but you can never permanently change it with a plow. This ancient idiom captures efforts that leave no trace.
Example: “Trying to change his mind about politics is like plowing the sea—it just returns to its original shape.”
Alternatives: Writing on water, building sandcastles at high tide.
57. Writing in the Sand
Meaning: Creating something temporary that will be erased by natural forces.
The beach is nature’s own Etch A Sketch. You can write the most profound message in the sand, but the next wave will erase it completely. This idiom captures the temporary nature of certain efforts and achievements.
Example: “His angry emails to the team were like writing in the sand—everyone forgot about them by the next crisis.”
Alternatives: Writing on water, building sandcastles, temporary measures.
58. Picking Up Leaves in a Windstorm
Meaning: Trying to complete a task while conditions actively work against you.
Picture yourself in a yard full of fallen leaves during a windstorm. Every leaf you pick up, three more blow in to take its place. It’s the perfect metaphor for those tasks where progress seems impossible due to external forces.
Example: “Trying to keep the house clean during the kids’ birthday party was like picking up leaves in a windstorm.”
Alternatives: Shoveling snow in a blizzard, bailing water from a sinking ship.
59. Milking a Bull
Meaning: Attempting to get something from a source that simply cannot provide it.
Bulls don’t produce milk—that’s what cows do. This idiom captures the futility of expecting results from something that lacks the basic capacity to deliver what you need.
Example: “Asking him for emotional support is like milking a bull—he just doesn’t have that capability.”
Alternatives: Getting blood from a stone, pulling water from a rock.
60. Teaching a Fish to Swim
Meaning: Trying to instruct someone in something they already know perfectly well.
Fish have been swimming long before humans existed. This idiom captures the absurdity of offering expertise where none is needed or wanted.
Example: “Explaining social media marketing to teenagers is like teaching a fish to swim.”
Alternatives: Teaching grandmother to suck eggs, carrying coals to Newcastle.
61. Selling Ice to Eskimos
Meaning: Attempting something that’s obviously unnecessary or trying to convince someone to want something they already have in abundance.
Traditional Inuit communities lived surrounded by ice and snow. Trying to sell them more would be the height of commercial futility.
Example: “Convincing Californians they need more sunshine is like selling ice to Eskimos.”
Alternatives: Carrying coals to Newcastle, selling sand in the desert.
62. Bailing Water from the Titanic
Meaning: Trying to fix a disaster that’s far beyond small remedies.
The Titanic was sinking because of massive structural damage. A bucket wouldn’t have helped. This idiom describes efforts that are pathetically inadequate for the scale of the problem.
Example: “Those tiny budget cuts are like bailing water from the Titanic—the deficit is too huge.”
Alternatives: Rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic, putting a band-aid on a severed artery.
63. Counting Grains of Sand
Meaning: Attempting a task so vast and detailed that it’s practically impossible to complete.
Mathematically, you could count sand grains, but it would take lifetimes to count even a small beach. This idiom represents tasks that are theoretically possible but practically futile.
Example: “Tracking every penny the government spends is like counting grains of sand.”
Alternatives: Emptying the ocean with a spoon, counting stars in the sky.
64. Wrestling with Shadows
Meaning: Fighting against something intangible or undefined that you can never really grasp or defeat.
Shadows have no substance—you can’t grab them, hurt them, or pin them down. This idiom captures the frustration of battling problems that seem to shift and change whenever you think you’ve got them figured out.
Example: “Trying to argue with her vague complaints was like wrestling with shadows—I couldn’t pin down what she actually wanted.”
Alternatives: Fighting ghosts, punching fog, grasping at smoke.
65. Planting Seeds in Concrete
Meaning: Trying to nurture growth in an environment that’s completely hostile to it.
Concrete is specifically designed to be impermeable and permanent. Seeds need soil, water, and organic matter. This idiom describes efforts to create life or growth in dead environments.
Example: “Trying to build company culture in that toxic workplace is like planting seeds in concrete.”
Alternatives: Growing flowers in a desert, nurturing life in a wasteland.
66. Holding Back the Tide
Meaning: Trying to stop a powerful, natural force that’s much bigger than you are.
King Canute supposedly tried to command the tide to stop, demonstrating to his courtiers that even kings have limits. This idiom captures efforts against unstoppable forces.
Example: “Trying to prevent social change through legislation is like holding back the tide.”
Alternatives: Stopping a freight train with your bare hands, blocking a river with a stick.
67. Teaching a Pig to Sing
Meaning: Attempting something that’s impossible and will only frustrate everyone involved.
This idiom often includes the punchline: “It wastes your time and annoys the pig.” It’s futility with added irritation for all parties.
Example: “Getting him to appreciate fine art is like teaching a pig to sing—frustrating for everyone.”
Alternatives: Teaching a stone to dance, making a silk purse from a sow’s ear.
68. Squaring the Circle
Meaning: Trying to solve a problem that has no mathematical solution.
Ancient geometers spent centuries trying to construct a square with the same area as a given circle using only a compass and straightedge. It’s been proven impossible, but the phrase lives on.
Example: “Balancing the federal budget while cutting taxes and increasing spending is like squaring the circle.”
Alternatives: Finding a perpetual motion machine, creating something from nothing.
69. Looking for a Needle in a Haystack
Meaning: Searching for something extremely difficult to find among a vast number of similar things.
Haystacks are huge, needles are tiny, and both are usually the same color. This classic idiom captures searches where the odds are stacked impossibly against you.
Example: “Finding the right candidate among 10,000 job applications feels like looking for a needle in a haystack.”
Alternatives: Finding a specific grain of sand on a beach, locating one person in a crowd of millions.
70. Making a Silk Purse from a Sow’s Ear
Meaning: Trying to create something elegant or valuable from materials that are inherently unsuitable.
Silk is luxurious and refined; a pig’s ear is… not. This idiom captures attempts to achieve quality results with fundamentally inadequate materials or situations.
Example: “Turning that run-down building into luxury condos would be like making a silk purse from a sow’s ear.”
Alternatives: Polishing a turd, putting lipstick on a pig.
71. Catching Lightning in a Bottle
Meaning: Trying to capture or recreate something spectacular but fleeting and unpredictable.
Lightning is powerful, beautiful, and completely wild. The idea of trapping it in a container is both thrilling and impossible. This idiom often describes attempts to recreate past success.
Example: “The sequel tried to catch lightning in a bottle, but magic like that only happens once.”
Alternatives: Capturing a moment in time, bottling inspiration.
72. Turning Back Time
Meaning: Trying to undo something that’s already happened or return to a previous state.
Time moves in one direction, and despite what science fiction suggests, we can’t reverse it. This idiom captures the futility of wanting to undo the past.
Example: “Wishing he’d never sent that email was like trying to turn back time—the damage was done.”
Alternatives: Unringing a bell, putting toothpaste back in the tube.
73. Putting Humpty Dumpty Together Again
Meaning: Trying to repair something that’s so completely broken that restoration is impossible.
The nursery rhyme tells us that all the king’s horses and all the king’s men couldn’t put Humpty together again. Some things, once broken, stay broken.
Example: “After the scandal, trying to restore his reputation was like putting Humpty Dumpty together again.”
Alternatives: Unscrambling an egg, rebuilding from ashes.
74. Closing the Barn Door After the Horse Has Bolted
Meaning: Taking precautions after the damage has already been done.
The horse is gone, the damage is done, but here you are, carefully securing the empty barn. This idiom captures those moments when our protective measures come too late.
Example: “Installing security cameras after the burglary is like closing the barn door after the horse has bolted.”
Alternatives: Locking the stable door after the horse is stolen, buying insurance after the accident.
These unique expressions remind us that human creativity in describing futility knows no bounds. Each culture, profession, and generation adds its own colorful ways to describe the impossible.
Quiz: Test Your Knowledge of Idioms for Futility
Ready to test your understanding? Let’s see how well you’ve absorbed these colorful expressions of impossibility. Don’t worry—unlike the tasks these idioms describe, this quiz is actually achievable!
1. What does “herding cats” mean?
a) Taking care of farm animals
b) Organizing a chaotic or unmanageable group
c) Going on a hunting trip
d) Starting a pet grooming business
2. If someone says you’re “beating a dead horse,” they mean you’re:
a) Being cruel to animals
b) Wasting effort on something already settled
c) Working too hard at your job
d) Practicing for a rodeo
3. “Throwing good money after bad” refers to:
a) Donating to charity
b) Investing in a sure winner
c) Continuing to invest in a failing venture
d) Paying taxes
4. What does “tilting at windmills” mean?
a) Renewable energy advocacy
b) Fighting imaginary or unwinnable battles
c) Dutch tourism
d) Mechanical repair work
5. “A drop in the ocean” describes:
a) Marine pollution
b) A contribution too small to matter
c) Perfect weather for swimming
d) Deep-sea exploration
6. If you’re “barking up the wrong tree,” you’re:
a) Confusing your pet
b) Pursuing the wrong course of action
c) Practicing forestry
d) Making too much noise
7. “Writing on water” means:
a) Creating something that won’t last
b) Practicing calligraphy
c) Working as a marine biologist
d) Learning to swim
8. What does “chasing rainbows” mean?
a) Weather forecasting
b) Pursuing unattainable goals
c) Photography as a hobby
d) Studying meteorology
9. “Spitting in the wind” refers to:
a) Bad manners
b) Taking action that will backfire
c) Checking wind direction
d) Oral hygiene problems
10. If something is “like nailing jelly to a wall,” it’s:
a) A messy cooking project
b) An impossible task
c) Interior decorating
d) A carpentry technique
11. “Carrying coals to Newcastle” means:
a) Working in shipping
b) Doing something completely unnecessary
c) Historical research
d) Fuel delivery
12. What does “fishing without bait” describe?
a) Catch-and-release fishing
b) Attempting something without essential elements
c) Vegetarian lifestyle
d) Equipment malfunction
13. “A wild goose chase” is:
a) Hunting expedition
b) A futile pursuit based on false information
c) Bird watching
d) Migration study
14. If you’re “rowing against the current,” you’re:
a) Exercising incorrectly
b) Fighting against stronger opposing forces
c) Going upstream
d) Learning water sports
15. “Throwing stones at the moon” means:
a) Astronomical research
b) Attacking something beyond your reach
c) Nighttime activities
d) Geology studies
16. What does “filling a bucket with a hole in it” represent?
a) Poor maintenance
b) Working on something with fundamental flaws
c) Plumbing problems
d) Water conservation
17. “Building castles in the air” refers to:
a) Architecture
b) Creating unrealistic plans
c) Aviation industry
d) Cloud formations
18. If you’re “whistling in the wind,” you’re:
a) Making music outdoors
b) Trying to communicate with someone who won’t hear
c) Weather prediction
d) Bird calling
19. “Pushing water uphill” describes:
a) Engineering challenge
b) Attempting something against natural forces
c) Irrigation systems
d) Exercise routine
20. What does “picking up leaves in a windstorm” mean?
a) Yard maintenance
b) Trying to complete a task while conditions work against you
c) Seasonal cleaning
d) Weather preparation
Answer Key for the Quiz
1. b) Organizing a chaotic or unmanageable group
2. b) Wasting effort on something already settled
3. c) Continuing to invest in a failing venture
4. b) Fighting imaginary or unwinnable battles
5. b) A contribution too small to matter
6. b) Pursuing the wrong course of action
7. a) Creating something that won’t last
8. b) Pursuing unattainable goals
9. b) Taking action that will backfire
10. b) An impossible task
11. b) Doing something completely unnecessary
12. b) Attempting something without essential elements
13. b) A futile pursuit based on false information
14. b) Fighting against stronger opposing forces
15. b) Attacking something beyond your reach
16. b) Working on something with fundamental flaws
17. b) Creating unrealistic plans
18. b) Trying to communicate with someone who won’t hear
19. b) Attempting something against natural forces
20. b) Trying to complete a task while conditions work against you
How did you score?
- 18-20 correct: You’re a futility expert! You could probably create your own idioms.
- 15-17 correct: Excellent understanding of these colorful expressions.
- 12-14 correct: Good grasp of the concepts with room to grow.
- 9-11 correct: You’re getting there—keep practicing!
- Below 9: Don’t worry, learning idioms isn’t like herding cats—it just takes time!
Conclusion
What a journey we’ve taken through the landscape of linguistic futility! From dead horses to greased poles, from ocean spoons to jelly nails, we’ve explored over 50 colorful ways to express the impossible.
These idioms do more than just describe failure—they transform frustration into art. They take our most maddening experiences and turn them into memorable, shareable expressions that connect us with others who’ve faced similar impossibilities.
Think about it: when you tell someone you’re “herding cats” at work, they immediately understand not just what you’re doing, but how you feel about it. These expressions create instant empathy and often provide a moment of humor in otherwise frustrating situations.
The richness of these idioms also reveals something beautiful about human nature. We don’t just give up when faced with the impossible—we create poetry about it. We turn our struggles into stories, our failures into phrases that will outlive us.
Whether you’re a writer looking to add color to your prose, a speaker wanting to connect with your audience, or just someone who appreciates the creativity of human language, these idioms for futility offer a treasure trove of expressive possibilities.
So the next time you’re facing an impossible task, don’t just say it’s difficult or challenging. Paint a picture with your words. Tell people you’re trying to nail jelly to a wall, or emptying the ocean with a spoon, or chasing rainbows while herding cats.
Your frustration will still be real, but at least it will be eloquently expressed. And who knows? You might even make someone smile in the process.
After all, if we’re going to face the impossible, we might as well describe it beautifully. Next time you encounter a hopeless situation, don’t just describe it—use one of these vivid idioms for futility to make your point unforgettable.
