Synonyms

dead horse

American

noun

something that has ceased to be useful or relevant.

idioms

beat / flog a dead horse, to persist in pursuing or trying to revive interest in a project or subject that has lost its usefulness or relevance.

dead horse More Idioms

see beat a dead horse.

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.

As late as 10 p.m., the dead horse was left uncovered on the carpool lane on the 605.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2024

“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

In truth, a dead horse fell on us.

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