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Idioms are fun phrases where the words together mean something totally different from what they say one by one. People use them to make talking and writing more colorful, exciting, and full of life. Today, you are going to learn a bunch of helpful idioms that all have to do with impossible situations and tough problems.
In this lesson, we’ll look at idioms for impossible situations that mean hopeless tasks, unresolvable issues, and things that cannot be done. Let’s get started and explore some of these helpful expressions.
Idioms for Impossible Situations
1. When pigs fly
Meaning: A humorous way of saying an impossible situation will never happen.
For Example: He said he would clean his entire bedroom when pigs fly. / Winning a race against a cheetah will happen when pigs fly.
Other Ways to Say: Never / Not a chance
2. Once in a blue moon
Meaning: An event that happens so rarely it creates an impossible routine.
For Example: Seeing snow fall in the middle of summer happens once in a blue moon. / He eats vegetables he dislikes once in a blue moon.
Other Ways to Say: Rarely / Almost never
3. Reach for the moon
Meaning: Trying to navigate an impossible situation with extreme goals.
For Example: The teacher told us to reach for the moon with our science project. / Dreaming of building a spaceship is trying to reach for the moon.
Other Ways to Say: Aim high / Try hard
4. Move mountains
Meaning: To try and fix an impossible situation through sheer effort.
For Example: With enough teamwork and hard work, you can almost move mountains. / He was determined to move mountains to finish his big report.
Other Ways to Say: Achieve wonders / Do the impossible
5. Catch the wind
Meaning: Trying to control something that slips away in a hopeless case.
For Example: Trying to change his mind was as difficult as trying to catch the wind. / Chasing after every loose rumor is like trying to catch the wind.
Other Ways to Say: Impossible task / Futile effort
6. Pull yourself up by your bootstraps
Meaning: Navigating a difficult, nearly impossible situation entirely on your own.
For Example: He had to pull himself up by his bootstraps to pass the hard class. / Building the business from scratch meant pulling himself up by his bootstraps.
Other Ways to Say: Succeed alone / Work hard
7. Find a needle in a haystack
Meaning: Trying to solve a search problem where success is nearly impossible.
For Example: Looking for my lost contact lens on the grass felt like finding a needle in a haystack. / Searching for that specific paper in the messy desk is like finding a needle in a haystack.
Other Ways to Say: Impossible search / Hard task
8. Shoot for the stars
Meaning: Setting a target in a tough situation that feels almost impossible.
For Example: The graduation speaker told every student to shoot for the stars. / Even if the career goal is huge, you should shoot for the stars.
Other Ways to Say: Aim high / Dream big
9. Bark up the wrong tree
Meaning: Pursuing a mistaken solution during a confusing problem.
For Example: If you think I took the pencil, you are barking up the wrong tree. / Searching in the kitchen for your outdoor keys means you are barking up the wrong tree.
Other Ways to Say: Be mistaken / Look in wrong place
10. Beat a dead horse
Meaning: Trying to continue a hopeless situation that is already finished.
For Example: Arguing about the game rules from yesterday is like trying to beat a dead horse. / Stop trying to fix that broken plastic toy because it is like beating a dead horse.
Other Ways to Say: Waste effort / Futile attempt
11. Cry for the moon
Meaning: Wishing for an outcome in an impossible situation that cannot happen.
For Example: Asking for a pet dragon is like crying for the moon. / Wishing you could fly without wings is just crying for the moon.
Other Ways to Say: Wish for impossible / Want too much
12. Milk a bull
Meaning: Trying to perform an action during a crisis that makes no sense.
For Example: Expecting him to change his stubborn mind is like trying to milk a bull. / That silly plan to fix the car is like trying to milk a bull.
Other Ways to Say: Nonsense task / Impossible effort
13. Square a circle
Meaning: Trying to solve a math or life puzzle proven to be unresolvable.
For Example: Trying to make both of them happy with opposite choices is like trying to square a circle. / Solving that broken math formula felt like trying to square a circle.
Other Ways to Say: Impossible problem / Unsolvable puzzle
14. Turn water into wine
Meaning: Expecting a miraculous fix in a hopeless situation without work.
For Example: Expecting me to finish this huge book in five minutes is like trying to turn water into wine. / You cannot just turn water into wine without practice.
Other Ways to Say: Magic trick / Impossible expectation
15. Catch a falling star
Meaning: Attempting something magical but completely out of reach.
For Example: Trying to keep everyone quiet in the cafeteria is like trying to catch a falling star. / Winning that huge sweepstakes feels like trying to catch a falling star.
Other Ways to Say: Impossible dream / Unattainable goal
16. Build castles in the air
Meaning: Creating unrealistic plans for solving a tough problem.
For Example: Instead of building castles in the air, start doing your homework. / He loved building castles in the air about winning the lottery.
Other Ways to Say: Daydream / Unrealistic plans
17. Out of reach
Meaning: Describing a goal in a tough situation that cannot be touched.
For Example: The top shelf cookies were completely out of reach for the toddler. / Winning first place felt out of reach until he practiced more.
Other Ways to Say: Unattainable / Inaccessible
18. Beyond belief
Meaning: A twist in a bad situation so incredible it seems fake.
For Example: The magician’s card trick was completely beyond belief. / His excuse for missing the bus was beyond belief.
Other Ways to Say: Incredible / Unbelievable
19. Hard nut to crack
Meaning: A tricky situation or problem that resists all solutions.
For Example: That advanced math word problem was a real hard nut to crack. / Fixing the old computer software was a hard nut to crack.
Other Ways to Say: Tough problem / Difficult task
20. Mission impossible
Meaning: A label for a project or crisis that cannot be completed.
For Example: Cleaning the entire garage in ten minutes felt like mission impossible. / Finding all the hidden tickets was a mission impossible game.
Other Ways to Say: Unachievable task / Hard job
21. Against all odds
Meaning: Finding success when a hopeless situation makes failure certain.
For Example: Our team won the championship game against all odds. / He passed the difficult test against all odds.
Other Ways to Say: Despite difficulty / Unlikely success
22. Task of Hercules
Meaning: A massive labor required to fix a broken situation.
For Example: Cleaning up the muddy stadium felt like a task of Hercules. / Carrying all the heavy boxes alone was a task of Hercules.
Other Ways to Say: Massive job / Impossible labor
23. Climbing Everest
Meaning: A metaphor for trying to escape a monumental crisis.
For Example: Studying for all four final exams felt like climbing Everest. / Writing a whole novel in a week is like climbing Everest.
Other Ways to Say: Huge challenge / Monumental task
24. Parting the Red Sea
Meaning: Needing a total miracle to rescue an impossible situation.
For Example: Getting everyone to agree on a game choice felt like parting the Red Sea. / Organizing the messy schedule was like parting the Red Sea.
Other Ways to Say: Miraculous fix / Huge miracle
25. Slaying a dragon
Meaning: Defeating a terrifying obstacle in a high-stakes problem.
For Example: Passing the advanced physics test felt like slaying a dragon. / Defeating the champion team felt like slaying a dragon.
Other Ways to Say: Conquer giant task / Beat big obstacle
26. Pulling a rabbit out of a hat
Meaning: Finding a surprise solution to save a failing project.
For Example: We needed extra funds, and the director managed to pull a rabbit out of a hat. / He solved the riddle by pulling a rabbit out of a hat.
Other Ways to Say: Work a miracle / Find surprise solution
27. Catching smoke with your bare hands
Meaning: Trying to grasp control of a chaotic, uncontrollable event.
For Example: Trying to stop rumors from spreading is like catching smoke with your bare hands. / Trying to grab the flowing water was like catching smoke with your bare hands.
Other Ways to Say: Futile effort / Impossible task
28. Walking on water
Meaning: Expecting someone to act like a savior in a bad situation.
For Example: He thinks he can finish this huge project alone without help, like walking on water. / Nobody expects you to be walking on water during your first day.
Other Ways to Say: Perform miracles / Do the impossible
29. Catching water in a sieve
Meaning: Doing useless work that fails to fix a leaky problem.
For Example: Trying to explain rules to him when he won’t listen is like catching water in a sieve. / Repairing that old leaking bucket is like catching water in a sieve.
Other Ways to Say: Wasteful effort / Impossible task
30. Bricking up a chimney with smoke
Meaning: Applying a broken plan to an already ruined situation.
For Example: Trying to hide the broken vase was like bricking up a chimney with smoke. / That messy plan will fail like bricking up a chimney with smoke.
Other Ways to Say: Nonsense plan / Bound to fail
31. Teaching a fish to climb a tree
Meaning: Forcing a person into a role totally unsuited for a crisis.
For Example: Making him sing a solo when he is tone-deaf is like teaching a fish to climb a tree. / Expecting cats to fetch sticks is like teaching a fish to climb a tree.
Other Ways to Say: Impossible expectation / Wrong skill
32. Whistling in the wind
Meaning: Offering helpful words that change nothing in a crisis.
For Example: Complaining about the rain is just whistling in the wind. / Telling the noisy crowd to quiet down felt like whistling in the wind.
Other Ways to Say: Useless effort / Ignored plea
33. Carrying water in a bottomless bucket
Meaning: Working endlessly on a broken task that never finishes.
For Example: Trying to clean this messy room while the toddler makes a mess is like carrying water in a bottomless bucket. / Endless chores feel like carrying water in a bottomless bucket.
Other Ways to Say: Endless task / Impossible labor
34. Chasing rainbows
Meaning: Following a false hope during a failing plan.
For Example: Instead of chasing rainbows of becoming a pop star overnight, practice your instrument. / He spent years chasing rainbows of finding hidden treasure.
Other Ways to Say: Pursue illusions / Chase dreams
35. Drawing blood from a stone
Meaning: Trying to extract resources from a completely empty source.
For Example: Getting him to lend money is like drawing blood from a stone. / Asking the tired puppy to play fetch was like drawing blood from a stone.
Other Ways to Say: Impossible demand / Get nothing
36. Making a silk purse out of a sow’s ear
Meaning: Trying to upgrade junk into luxury during a bad setup.
For Example: Trying to fix this rusted old bicycle into a racing bike is like making a silk purse out of a sow’s ear. / Transforming the broken shed was like making a silk purse out of a sow’s ear.
Other Ways to Say: Impossible upgrade / Fix junk
37. Putting the cart before the horse
Meaning: Arranging the steps of a difficult situation in reverse.
For Example: Buying art supplies before learning how to draw is putting the cart before the horse. / Planning the party before inviting guests is putting the cart before the horse.
Other Ways to Say: Do things backwards / Wrong order
38. Waiting for Godot
Meaning: Waiting for a rescue or fix that will never show up.
For Example: Standing by the broken bus stop felt like waiting for Godot. / Expecting him to apologize first is like waiting for Godot.
Other Ways to Say: Endless wait / Futile expectation
39. Trying to put toothpaste back in the tube
Meaning: Attempting to reverse a permanent mistake in a crisis.
For Example: Apologizing after sharing a secret is like trying to put toothpaste back in the tube. / Once words are spoken, trying to take them back is like trying to put toothpaste back in the tube.
Other Ways to Say: Undo the impossible / Irreversible act
40. Running on empty
Meaning: Trying to survive a stressful situation with zero energy left.
For Example: Staying up all night studying means you are running on empty by morning. / The car ran out of gas and was running on empty.
Other Ways to Say: Exhausted / Depleted
41. Hitting a brick wall
Meaning: Stopping dead in your tracks during a tough problem.
For Example: While writing my story, I hit a brick wall with the plot. / Solving the riddle made him hit a brick wall.
Other Ways to Say: Get stuck / Face barrier
42. Doing the impossible
Meaning: Defying the odds to fix a broken scenario.
For Example: Winning the game with zero seconds left felt like doing the impossible. / Building the bridge across the canyon was like doing the impossible.
Other Ways to Say: Achieve great feat / Succeed wildly
43. Beyond human capability
Meaning: Requiring strength that no mortal has in a disaster.
For Example: Lifting that heavy boulder alone is beyond human capability. / Memorizing a million numbers is beyond human capability.
Other Ways to Say: Impossible / Superhuman
44. Out of the question
Meaning: Declaring a proposed solution entirely unacceptable.
For Example: Going to the theme park on a school night is out of the question. / Buying a pony for everyone is totally out of the question.
Other Ways to Say: Unacceptable / Impossible
45. Not a dog’s chance
Meaning: Having zero probability of escaping a failure.
For Example: Without studying, he had not a dog’s chance of passing the math test. / Our broken team had not a dog’s chance against the champions.
Other Ways to Say: Zero chance / Impossible
46. Fat chance
Meaning: Dismissing the idea of a positive outcome in a bad setup.
For Example: Can I borrow your brand new bicycle? Fat chance! / Will he finish his chores without being asked? Fat chance!
Other Ways to Say: Not likely / Impossible
47. Not in a million years
Meaning: A flat refusal to believe a good outcome will happen.
For Example: Would I jump off a high cliff into water? Not in a million years! / He said he would eat raw broccoli not in a million years.
Other Ways to Say: Never / Absolutely not
48. Snowball’s chance in hell
Meaning: Having absolute zero chance of surviving a severe problem.
For Example: Leaving the ice cream on the sunny sidewalk gave it a snowball’s chance in hell of surviving. / Without practicing, our team had a snowball’s chance in hell of winning.
Other Ways to Say: Zero probability / No chance
49. Pigs might fly
Meaning: Reiterating that an expected fix is entirely fictional.
For Example: Will he apologize for making a mess? Pigs might fly! / Can we finish this project in ten seconds? Pigs might fly!
Other Ways to Say: Never / Impossible
50. When hell freezes over
Meaning: Setting a humorous deadline for a resolution that won’t occur.
For Example: He said he would clean the attic when hell freezes over. / Will she give up eating chocolate? Only when hell freezes over!
Other Ways to Say: Never / Impossible event
51. Hell would freeze over first
Meaning: Rejecting a bad compromise during an argument.
For Example: Would I let my little brother borrow my video game? Hell would freeze over first! / He claimed he would wear a winter coat in July, but hell would freeze over first.
Other Ways to Say: Never happen / Absolute refusal
52. Beyond reach
Meaning: When the tool or answer is too far away to help.
For Example: The floating balloon drifted high into the sky, staying beyond reach. / Success seemed beyond reach until he started studying daily.
Other Ways to Say: Unattainable / Far away
53. Beyond bounds
Meaning: A crisis that has grown past all limits of control.
For Example: Expecting us to read fifty books in one day is beyond bounds. / His wild claims about winning the contest were beyond bounds.
Other Ways to Say: Unrealistic / Excessive
54. Unattainable dream
Meaning: Treating a fantasy solution as a real fix for a problem.
For Example: Becoming a professional astronaut without studying science is an unattainable dream. / Touching the clouds is an unattainable dream.
Other Ways to Say: Impossible goal / Unrealistic wish
55. Pure fantasy
Meaning: Dismissing a proposed plan because it is completely made up.
For Example: The idea that our dog could talk was pure fantasy. / Winning the game without practicing was pure fantasy.
Other Ways to Say: Make-believe / Impossible idea
56. Dead end
Meaning: A path in a problem-solving process that goes nowhere.
For Example: Following that false lead in the investigation led straight to a dead end. / Searching through the wrong files proved to be a dead end.
Other Ways to Say: Blind alley / No way out
57. Blind alley
Meaning: Heading down a wrong course of action that solves nothing.
For Example: Trying to fix the engine without tools sent us down a blind alley. / That choice was a blind alley for our project.
Other Ways to Say: Dead end / Useless path
58. Cul de sac of trouble
Meaning: Being trapped in a tight spot with no obvious exit.
For Example: Missing our train placed us in a cul de sac of trouble at the station. / Financial mistakes can lead to a cul de sac of trouble.
Other Ways to Say: Trap / Tight spot
59. Locked horns
Meaning: Two people stuck in a stubborn conflict with no resolution.
For Example: The two managers locked horns over the budget plan. / They locked horns and refused to compromise.
Other Ways to Say: Stalemate / Gridlock
60. Gordian knot
Meaning: An extremely complex problem that requires a radical solution.
For Example: Untangling the company’s financial mess was like cutting a Gordian knot. / Solving the scheduling conflict felt like a Gordian knot.
Other Ways to Say: Complex problem / Tangled mess
Exercise to Practice
- He said he would clean his entire bedroom when pigs ________.
- Seeing snow fall in the middle of summer happens once in a blue ________.
- The teacher told us to reach for the ________ with our science project.
- Looking for my lost contact lens on the grass felt like finding a needle in a ________.
- If you think I took the pencil, you are barking up the wrong ________.
- Asking for a pet dragon is like crying for the ________.
- Finding all the hidden tickets was a mission ________ game.
- Our team won the championship game against all ________.
- Instead of building ________ in the air, start doing your homework.
- The top shelf cookies were completely out of ________ for the toddler.
- Getting him to lend money is like drawing blood from a ________.
- Going to the theme park on a school night is out of the ________.
- Without studying, he had not a dog’s ________ of passing the math test.
- Can I borrow your brand new bicycle? Fat ________!
- Would I jump off a high cliff into water? Not in a million ________!
Answer Key
- fly
- moon
- moon
- haystack
- tree
- moon
- impossible
- odds
- castles
- reach
- stone
- question
- chance
- chance
- years
Conclusion
Learning idioms about impossible situations helps you understand stories, exaggerated humor, and everyday conversations much better. When you know what these colorful phrases mean, you can use them to describe funny or unrealistic ideas in your own writing.
Try using a few of these expressions the next time you talk about something that will never happen. Practicing them out loud is a great way to remember them and make your communication sound awesome.
