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

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

From Salon • Feb. 18, 2026

Eileen McGovern, a member of SOAS, said returning "life-saving" emergency general surgery services to Swah is not a lost cause.

From BBC • Jan. 14, 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

He dipped his napkin in his ice water and handed it to Laleh for her to clean off her mouth, but it was a lost cause.

From "Darius the Great Is Not Okay" by Adib Khorram