Sometimes people work hard but feel like they are getting nowhere. This feeling is called “futility.” We often use idioms to talk about these moments. Idioms are special phrases that don’t mean exactly what the words say. They make language fun and help us describe situations creatively.
In this article, we will explore some idioms that show futility. These phrases can teach us how to express frustration or hopelessness in different ways. You’ll also find a fun exercise to practice using these idioms. By the end, you’ll have a better understanding of how to use them in your writing and conversations. Let’s get started!
Idioms for Futility
1. Barking up the wrong tree
Meaning: Wasting time or effort on the wrong idea or person.
In a Sentence: He kept asking his sister for help, but she didn’t know anything about math. He was barking up the wrong tree. / The detective thought the neighbor stole the bike, but he was barking up the wrong tree.
Other Ways to Say: Going in the wrong direction. Chasing the wrong lead.
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. / We’ve already decided on the field trip location. Bringing it up again is beating a dead horse.
Other Ways to Say: Wasting time. Repeating something pointless.
3. Running in circles
Meaning: Working hard but making no progress.
In a Sentence: We’ve been running in circles trying to fix the Wi-Fi, but nothing is working. / She spent hours organizing her desk but ended up running in circles.
Other Ways to Say: Getting nowhere fast. Spinning your wheels.
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. / Trying to teach him manners is like pouring water into a sieve.
Other Ways to Say: Wasting your efforts. Trying the impossible.
5. A wild goose chase
Meaning: Searching for something impossible to find.
In a Sentence: Looking for my lost sock in the laundry room felt like a wild goose chase. / We went on a wild goose chase trying to find the rare comic book.
Other Ways to Say: Chasing the Wind. Searching for the impossible.
6. Spitting into the wind
Meaning: Doing something that is bound to fail or backfire.
In a Sentence: Arguing with someone who never listens is like spitting into the wind. / Trying to keep sand out of your shoes at the beach is spitting into the wind.
Other Ways to Say: Fighting a losing battle. Doing something useless.
7. Climbing a greased pole
Meaning: Attempting something extremely difficult or impossible.
In a Sentence: Getting the dog to sit still for a photo was like climbing a greased pole. / Trying to stop the rain from ruining the picnic was like climbing a greased pole.
Other Ways to Say: Battling an uphill task. Taking on the impossible.
8. Beating your head against a wall
Meaning: Trying something repeatedly without success.
In a Sentence: I was beating my head against a wall trying to solve that math problem. / Convincing him to eat vegetables feels like beating my head against a wall.
Other Ways to Say: Trying in vain. Struggling pointlessly.
9. Trying to catch smoke with your hands
Meaning: Chasing something that can’t be caught.
In a Sentence: Explaining the internet to my grandpa is like trying to catch smoke with your hands. / Finding a quiet place during recess feels like catching smoke with your hands.
Other Ways to Say: Doing the impossible. Trying to catch the wind.
10. Chasing rainbows
Meaning: Pursuing unrealistic dreams or goals.
In a Sentence: He quit his job to become a rock star, but he’s just chasing rainbows. / Thinking I could finish all my homework in one hour was chasing rainbows.
Other Ways to Say: Dreaming the Impossible. Setting unrealistic goals.
11. Throwing money down the drain
Meaning: Spending money on something pointless.
In a Sentence: Buying more gadgets he never uses is like throwing money down the drain. / We spent $20 on carnival games and didn’t win anything. It felt like throwing money down the drain.
Other Ways to Say: Wasting money. Throwing cash away.
12. Trying to milk a bull
Meaning: Attempting something impossible.
In a Sentence: Convincing him to read a book is like trying to milk a bull. / It’s like trying to milk a bull to get my little brother to clean his room.
Other Ways to Say: Attempting the Impossible. Doing something pointless.
13. Flogging a dead horse
Meaning: Trying to revive something that is already over.
In a Sentence: Arguing about last week’s mistake is like flogging a dead horse. / Trying to repair that broken lamp is just flogging a dead horse.
Other Ways to Say: Beating a lost cause. Wasting energy on the past.
14. Like nailing jelly to a wall
Meaning: Trying to do something very difficult or impossible.
In a Sentence: Explaining algebra to a first grader is like nailing jelly to a wall. / It’s like nailing jelly to a wall trying to get everyone to agree.
Other Ways to Say: Fighting a losing battle. Tackling the unmanageable.
15. Blowing against the wind
Meaning: Working against forces you cannot control.
In a Sentence: Trying to hold an umbrella in a storm felt like blowing against the wind. / Blaming the weather for the game being canceled is like blowing against the wind.
Other Ways to Say: Resisting the inevitable. Pushing against the tide.
16. Pushing water uphill
Meaning: Attempting a task that is too difficult to achieve.
In a Sentence: Getting my cat to wear a leash felt like pushing water uphill. / It’s like pushing water uphill trying to fix this old laptop.
Other Ways to Say: Attempting the unachievable. Fighting an uphill battle.
17. Tilting at windmills
Meaning: Fighting imaginary or impossible enemies.
In a Sentence: He’s tilting at windmills trying to stop the internet trolls. / Complaining about the weather feels like tilting at windmills.
Other Ways to Say: Battling imaginary problems. Fighting the invisible.
18. Fishing without a hook
Meaning: Attempting something without the right tools or preparation.
In a Sentence: Writing the report without doing research is like fishing without a hook. / Trying to bake without a recipe felt like fishing without a hook.
Other Ways to Say: Working unprepared. Attempting without the essentials.
19. A fool’s errand
Meaning: A pointless or impossible task.
In a Sentence: Searching for a needle in the grass felt like a fool’s errand. / Asking her to share her favorite candy is a fool’s errand.
Other Ways to Say: A hopeless mission. A pointless quest.
20. Pouring salt into the ocean
Meaning: Adding something unnecessary or doing something pointless.
In a Sentence: Buying more pencils when I already have plenty feels like pouring salt into the ocean. / Apologizing to someone who isn’t upset is like pouring salt into the ocean.
Other Ways to Say: Adding to the unnecessary. Doing something redundant.
21. Kicking against the pricks
Meaning: Resisting something inevitable or unchangeable.
In a Sentence: Complaining about the school rules is like kicking against the pricks. / Arguing with her parents about bedtime is kicking against the pricks.
Other Ways to Say: Resisting what can’t be changed. Fighting the unavoidable.
22. Trying to empty the ocean with a spoon
Meaning: Tackling a task that is far too big to finish.
In a Sentence: Cleaning the park all by myself felt like trying to empty the ocean with a spoon. / Teaching him to play piano in one day is like emptying the ocean with a spoon.
Other Ways to Say: Attempting the Impossible. Facing an overwhelming task.
23. Feeding the wind and reaping the whirlwind
Meaning: Wasting effort and causing greater problems.
In a Sentence: Spreading rumors is like feeding the wind and reaping the whirlwind. / Procrastinating my homework felt like feeding the wind and reaping the whirlwind.
Other Ways to Say: Creating your trouble. Making things worse.
24. Writing in the sand
Meaning: Doing something that won’t last or be remembered.
In a Sentence: Making plans with someone unreliable is like writing in the sand. / Trying to build a castle during high tide felt like writing in the sand.
Other Ways to Say: Doing something fleeting. Creating something temporary.
25. Pouring oil on troubled waters
Meaning: Trying to calm a situation that cannot be fixed.
In a Sentence: He was pouring oil on troubled waters by trying to calm both sides of the argument. / Apologizing to someone who won’t forgive feels like pouring oil on troubled waters.
Other Ways to Say: Trying to fix what’s broken. Soothing without a solution.
26. Building castles in the air
Meaning: Making unrealistic plans or dreams that are unlikely to happen.
In a Sentence: He talks about being a millionaire without working hard—it’s like building castles in the air. / Planning a summer trip without any money feels like building castles in the air.
Other Ways to Say: Dreaming the Impossible. Making unrealistic plans.
27. Chasing your tail
Meaning: Working hard but achieving nothing.
In a Sentence: I’ve been chasing my tail trying to organize the closet, but it’s still messy. / She spent all day on her science project but didn’t make much progress—just chasing her tail.
Other Ways to Say: Running in circles. Getting nowhere fast.
28. Throwing caution to the wind
Meaning: Acting without considering the consequences, often leading to failure.
In a Sentence: Throwing caution to the wind, he spent all his savings on a video game console. / She threw caution to the wind and skipped studying for her test.
Other Ways to Say: Taking unnecessary risks. Acting recklessly.
29. Hitting a brick wall
Meaning: Facing an obstacle that stops progress.
In a Sentence: I was doing great on my homework until I hit a brick wall with this math problem. / She hit a brick wall trying to get her parents’ permission for a late-night movie.
Other Ways to Say: Facing an Obstacle. Reaching a dead end.
30. Throwing good money after bad
Meaning: Spending more money on something that is already a failure.
In a Sentence: Fixing that old car again is like throwing good money after bad. / Paying for another concert ticket when you missed the last one is throwing good money after bad.
Other Ways to Say: Wasting more resources. Investing in a lost cause.
31. Biting off more than you can chew
Meaning: Taking on more work than you can handle.
In a Sentence: He bit off more than he could chew by volunteering for three projects at once. / Planning to bake five pies in one afternoon is biting off more than you can chew.
Other Ways to Say: Overcommitting. Taking on too much.
32. Pulling water out of a stone
Meaning: Trying to get something that is not possible to get.
In a Sentence: Convincing him to share his dessert is like pulling water out of a stone. / Asking for a refund at the carnival is pulling water out of a stone.
Other Ways to Say: Attempting the Impossible. Trying to squeeze something out of nothing.
33. A drop in the ocean
Meaning: A very small or insignificant effort compared to what is needed.
In a Sentence: Donating $5 to the charity felt like a drop in the ocean compared to their $1,000 goal. / Picking up a few pieces of trash is just a drop in the ocean for cleaning the whole park.
Other Ways to Say: A small step in a big task. A tiny effort is a huge problem.
Exercise to practice
- Asking the vending machine for free snacks is like ____________ a bull.
- Fixing that broken chair again is like throwing _____________ after bad.
- Trying to find my lost mitten in the snowstorm felt like a ___________ chase.
- Complaining about the long line at Disneyland is just kicking against the ____________.
- Convincing my brother to share his Halloween candy is like pulling __________ out of a stone.
- Asking for more time on a project already due is like pouring salt into the ___________.
- Spending hours cleaning the house when the dog keeps running in with muddy paws is like running in ____________.
- Trying to explain the rules of baseball to my grandma felt like nailing __________ to a wall.
- Planning a road trip without checking the weather forecast is throwing __________ to the wind.
- My efforts to finish the huge jigsaw puzzle in one hour were just a drop in the ____________.
- Bringing up last year’s lost basketball game is like beating a __________ horse.
- Wasting hours looking for the TV remote when we could’ve just used the buttons is like barking up the wrong __________.
Answers
- milking
- money
- wild goose
- pricks
- water
- Ocean
- circles
- jelly
- caution
- Ocean
- dead
- tree
Conclusion
Idioms make language more interesting and help us express ideas clearly. The idioms about futility we explored show how creative language can explain frustration or wasted effort. By practicing these phrases, you can describe real-life situations in a fun and engaging way.
Keep using these idioms to improve your writing and speaking skills. With time, they will feel natural and make your communication more effective. Remember, language is a tool, and idioms are a great way to make it stronger.