# mug's game

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/mugs-game
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

A foolish, profitless, or hopeless undertaking.

## Examples

- Trying to win that rigged carnival game is a mug's game.
- He realized that chasing after a company that never pays its invoices is a mug's game.
- The seasoned investor warned the newcomers that attempting to time the volatile market was ultimately a mug's game.

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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.