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.
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
Don’t tell me this is a fool’s errand, that there’s no path, that this doesn’t make any sense.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 2, 2026
There is a lot that is different about the mega-IPO, making definitive predictions a fool’s errand.
From Barron's ● Jun. 9, 2026
Mom always planted a row of corn even though that was a bit of a fool’s errand.
From "The Season of Styx Malone" by Kekla Magoon
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.
