# lost cause

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/lost-cause
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

A person or thing that is hopeless or futile.

## Examples

- Fixing that old car is a lost cause.
- After months of trying to change his mind, his friends decided he was a lost cause.
- The environmental group had poured years into saving the polluted river, but by now even its most devoted members privately admitted it was a lost cause.

## Origin

From the generic term lost cause. The Confederacy was, of course, defeated.

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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.