lost cause

American  

noun

1. a cause that has been defeated or whose defeat is inevitable.

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lost cause British  

noun

1. a cause with no chance of success

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lost cause Idioms  

1. A hopeless undertaking, as in Trying to get him to quit smoking is a lost cause. In the 1860s this expression was widely used to describe the Confederacy. [Mid-1800s] Also see losing battle.

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Etymology

Origin of lost cause

First recorded in 1860–65

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

lost cause

The upset victories thrilled Southern California’s Latino political class, who long saw Whittier as a Republican-run lost cause.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 1, 2026

Added to a pantry pasta when you realize the crisper drawer is a lost cause.

From Salon ● Feb. 18, 2026

As John Steinbeck assured Jackie Kennedy in 1964: “You talked of Scotland as a lost cause and that is not true. Scotland is an unwon cause.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 12, 2025

If you were considered a lost cause, how were you able to make such a surprising comeback?

From Slate ● Nov. 19, 2025

The whole pageant seemed like such a lost cause that it didn’t even occur to me to be concerned by the fact that I didn’t have an escort.

From "Dumplin'" by Julie Murphy