# polish a turd

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/polish-a-turd
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To work on a time-consuming and ultimately pointless or impossible task; to try to perfect what is inherently bad.

## Examples

- You cannot polish a turd, so just start over.
- The manager asked me to fix the broken software, but it is like trying to polish a turd.
- Despite his exhaustive efforts to improve the disastrous manuscript, he eventually realized he was merely attempting to polish a turd.

---

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.