fool's errand
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fool's errand
Where it comes from
First use apppears c. the 18th century.
noun fools' errands
-
A foolish undertaking, especially one that is purposeless, fruitless, nonsensical, or certain to fail.
If I were to travel only that I might be discontented with that which I can get at home, methinks I should go but on a fool's errand.
Similar: idiot's errand, lost errand, sleeveless errand, wild-goose chase
-
Such an undertaking, assigned as a prank.
Meronyms: blinker fluid, key to the midway, left-handed monkey wrench, muffler bearing, skyhook
Similar: snipe hunt, wild-goose chase
Translations
Every language
noun foolish undertaking
| Español | misión imposible, tarea de tontos, recado de necios |
|---|---|
| 日本語 | 骨折り損 honeorizon, むだ足 mudaashi |
| Português | caça aos gambozinos |
| Deutsch | vergebliche Mühe, Metzgergang |
| Italiano | compito da pazzi, follia, impresa folle |
| עברית | ברכה לבטלה, משימה שנידונה לכישלון, משימה אבודה מראש |
Talk about this word "fool's errand." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/fool's%20errand. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. fool's errand. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/fool's%20errand "fool's errand." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/fool's%20errand.Cite this
@misc{fool_s_errand_2026,
title = {fool's errand},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/fool's%20errand},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
