dead horse
Americannoun
idioms
Etymology
Origin of dead horse
An Americanism dating back to 1820–30
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.
Just saying it once feels like I’m beating a dead horse.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 23, 2026
“I think you would like to have those players playing in an ideal world, but I feel like we’re sort of beating a dead horse in this media room a little bit,” he said.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 13, 2024
The dead horse was found by a citizen in Hempstead, about 50 miles northwest of Houston, at around 8:30 a.m.
From Washington Times ● Nov. 24, 2023
But it relies on shifting the focus from beating the dead horse of individual responsibility to setting up Americans for success by designing their environment for health.
From Salon ● Sep. 8, 2023
Look: A dead horse fell from the bridge.
From "100 Sideways Miles" by Andrew Smith
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
