lost cause

American  

noun

1. a cause that has been defeated or whose defeat is inevitable.

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lost cause British  

noun

1. a cause with no chance of success

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lost cause Idioms  

1. A hopeless undertaking, as in Trying to get him to quit smoking is a lost cause. In the 1860s this expression was widely used to describe the Confederacy. [Mid-1800s] Also see losing battle.

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Etymology

Origin of lost cause

First recorded in 1860–65

Example Sentences

Added to a pantry pasta when you realize the crisper drawer is a lost cause.

From Salon • Feb. 18, 2026

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

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

“Yes, indeed. I think I know a lost cause when I see one.”

From "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" by J.K. Rowling