# chase a rainbow

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/chase-a-rainbow
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To pursue something illusory, impractical, or impossible.

## Examples

- Don't chase a rainbow by trying to win that rigged game.
- He spent years trying to become a famous actor, but his family worried he was just chasing a rainbow.
- By investing his entire inheritance into an unproven technology, he was merely chasing a rainbow that would never yield a return.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.