lost cause

American

noun

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

lost cause British

noun

a cause with no chance of success

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

lost cause Idioms

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.

Etymology

Origin of lost cause

First recorded in 1860–65

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.

His long-term health isn’t worth risking to save a completely lost cause.

From Los Angeles Times • May 8, 2026

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

From Salon • Feb. 18, 2026

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

From Slate • Nov. 19, 2025

The season is far from a lost cause.

From BBC • Nov. 6, 2025

But among them, his former pupils, excited by the high-sounding proclamations, the determination reigned to sacrifice their skins for a lost cause.

From "One Hundred Years of Solitude" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023