fool's errand
Americannoun
noun
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.
In an era when documentaries are made for everything and nothing, it’s critical to remember that searching for reason in something as immense as the human condition is a fool’s errand.
From Salon ● Oct. 17, 2026
Ultimately, trying to clone Obama is likely to be a fool’s errand.
From Slate ● Sep. 9, 2026
However, reinventing Beethoven at the Bowl, doing so following Dudamel and with little rehearsal time, could easily become a fool’s errand.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 27, 2026
Instead of being a fool’s errand, there is now a road map for disruption.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 13, 2026
Sometimes they are victims of professional narcissism and write as if the reader were interested in every blind alley, fool’s errand, and wild-goose chase they engaged in while exploring the topic.
From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
