Japanese

とうぼうだせい
Meaning: wasting effort on something impossible
Part of Speech: Noun, Four-character idiom

Listen to pronunciation

Example

一人で海を埋めるような計画は、掉棒打星そのものだ。
A plan like filling the sea alone is the very definition of futile effort.

Usage Notes

Use it for labor spent on a goal that cannot realistically be achieved, often with a sense of frustration.

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