hamster wheel

[ ham-ster hweel, weel ]

/ ˈhæm stər ˌʰwil, ˌwil /

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noun

a cylindrical framework, usually within a cage, that is rotated by a hamster or other small animal running inside of it.

any situation that seems to be endlessly without goal or achievement.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Also called squirrel cage .

Origin of hamster wheel

First recorded in 1945–50

historical usage of hamster wheel

What is the meaning of life? Have we become alienated in our increasingly industrialized existence? One pervasive modern metaphor supposes that we are just rodents in a cage. The most competitive among us traverse the maze in a rat race for the cheese, while the rest of us are content to spin in an endless hamster wheel of commutes and work, emails and errands, unable to change the scenery no matter how hard we run.
Reminiscent of absurdist and existentialist schools of philosophy, the metaphor of the hamster wheel has resonated in popular culture, from internet memes and street art to self-help books. The pervasive wisdom is to indulge the introspection and then either find meaning within the confines of the hamster wheel, or quit it entirely.

Words nearby hamster wheel

Hampstead, Hampton, Hampton Roads, hamshackle, hamster, hamster wheel, hamstring, hamstrung, Hamsun, Hamtramck, hamulus

How to use hamster wheel in a sentence

Odell offers a middle ground between dropping out of society and staying on the hamster wheel of capitalism.
Lorde’s ‘Solar Power’ Is All About Reconnecting with Nature|smurguia|August 25, 2021|Outside Online
You’ll typically be on a hamster wheel of solving those problems.
‘A hamster wheel’: Confessions of an ex-agency exec on leaving the business — for good|Kristina Monllos|March 29, 2021|Digiday
As you sit there, you wish you could take a brain break, too, and daydream about something, anything, that would allow you to step off this hamster wheel that has become pandemic life, if only for a few minutes.
Daydreaming is surprisingly hard. Here’s how to do it better.|Allyson Chiu|March 12, 2021|Washington Post
In a figurative sense, this game reimagines Camelot as a hamster wheel, where knights like Sir Galahad have become tiny, pixellated cogs.
Loop Hero review: I’ve somehow gotten hooked on an RPG that plays itself|Sam Machkovech|March 4, 2021|Ars Technica

We suddenly find ourselves kicked off the hamster wheel and having to rethink things and be creative.
Your Brain Makes You a Different Person Every Day - Issue 91: The Amazing Brain|Steve Paulson|October 14, 2020|Nautilus
They were racing toward the corner of Tompkins and Myrtle avenues with Johnson at the wheel when another call came over the radio.
'Please Don't Die!': The Frantic Battle to Save Murdered Cops|Michael Daly|December 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“They think Putin is the only evil in Russia and dream about getting rid of him,” he said, tightening his grip on the wheel.
Think Putin’s Bad? Wait for the Next Guy|Anna Nemtsova|November 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Maybe the wheel will turn again, and heterosexuality will come to seem edgy.
How Straight World Stole ‘Gay’: The Last Gasp of the ‘Lumbersexual’|Tim Teeman|November 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It was only a matter of time that the wheel turned its full revolution.
How Straight World Stole ‘Gay’: The Last Gasp of the ‘Lumbersexual’|Tim Teeman|November 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
After seeing this trick with blocks and toys, children saw it performed with a hamster.
Why Are Millennials Unfriending Organized Religion?|Vlad Chituc|November 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Never again would he sit behind that wheel rejoicing in the insolence of speed.
The Joyous Adventures of Aristide Pujol|William J. Locke
He deposited it on the vacant seat, clambered up behind the wheel, and started.
The Joyous Adventures of Aristide Pujol|William J. Locke
The non-elastic character of water made it unsuitable for a machine requiring a fly-wheel.
Life of Richard Trevithick, Volume II (of 2)|Francis Trevithick
To quote Mrs. Kaye, 'A Liberal peer is as useful as a fifth wheel to a coach, and as ornamental as whitewash.'
Ancestors|Gertrude Atherton
I think 6½ feet diameter for the fly, and 9½ inches diameter for the small wheel, will give speed enough to the drum.
Life of Richard Trevithick, Volume II (of 2)|Francis Trevithick