lost cause
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.
But reducing or omitting speech from a movie’s audio tracks forces viewers to give the screen their full attention, which Netflix and other streaming services assume is a lost cause in the second-screen era.
From Salon ● Aug. 22, 2026
As John Steinbeck assured Jackie Kennedy in 1964: “You talked of Scotland as a lost cause and that is not true. Scotland is an unwon cause.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 12, 2025
If you were considered a lost cause, how were you able to make such a surprising comeback?
From Slate ● Nov. 19, 2025
After staying out to applaud the away end at full-time, he deadpanned that his situation was "a lost cause" when asked if he could turn things around with time.
From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2025
I gave up distraction as a lost cause.
From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss
