for the birds

Cultural  

1. Worthless: “The last scheme you came up with was really for the birds.”

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for the birds Idioms  

1. Worthless, not to be taken seriously, no good. For example, This conference is for the birds—let's leave now. This term has been said to allude to horse droppings from which birds would extract seeds. This seemingly fanciful theory is borne out by a more vulgar version of this idiom, shit for the birds. [Slang; first half of 1900s]

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

for the birds

Sports fishermen might celebrate the arrival of unusual fish, but “if it persists, it’s a serious event for the birds and for the plankton.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 27, 2026

However, they may not realize the danger this creates for the birds they love.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 24, 2026

He added the trust estimated the long-standing pair to be about 18 years old, with life expectancy for the birds being about 25 years.

From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026

Shortly after, a pair of eagles nested on the north side, bolstering Big Bear Valley’s role as vital habitat for the birds of prey.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 12, 2026

“Listen for the birds and don’t think about anything else.”

From "Hollow City" by Ransom Riggs

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Related Words

• astonishing
• implausible
• impossible
• improbable
• inconceivable
• incredible
• outlandish
• preposterous
• too much
• unimaginable
• unthinkable

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