a wild goose chase
/ə ˌwaɪld ˈɡuːs tʃeɪs/INFORMAL · C1
Meaning
a pointless search that cannot succeed
Examples
- 1An outdated address sent the delivery driver on a wild goose chase.
- 2Looking for tickets to the cancelled concert turned into a wild goose chase.
- 3The search for that missing page was a wild goose chase; the book never had one.
- 4Tracking down a shop that never existed proved a wild goose chase.
- 5Thanks to an invented reference number, finding the parcel became a wild goose chase.
Grammar
Countable: a wild goose chase. Often used after send someone on or turn into; keep goose singular.
Similar in meaning
More idioms about animals
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English Idioms400 idioms in 20 topics — with reviews that keep them from fading
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