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Showing results for lost cause. Search instead for lostrabst.
Definitions

lost cause

NOUN
wild-goose chase
Synonyms
WEAK
bootless errand fool's errand merry chase red herring snipe hunt vain attempt waste of time wasted effort wasted labor

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

They were comfortable confiding in one another to the point of calling the war “already a lost cause for Germany,” as Kiep put it.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 19, 2025

If you were considered a lost cause, how were you able to make such a surprising comeback?

From Slate • Nov. 19, 2025

But nor is it the case that democracy in our country is a lost cause.

From Salon • Sep. 23, 2025

Monday’s game was a lost cause from the start.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 12, 2025

But among them, his former pupils, excited by the high-sounding proclamations, the determination reigned to sacrifice their skins for a lost cause.

From "One Hundred Years of Solitude" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez