wild goose chase
noun
Roget 645:
inutility;
uselessness
etc.
adj.;
inefficacy†,
futility;
ineptitude,
inaptitude;
unsubservience†;
inadequacy
etc.
(insufficiency)
640;
inefficiency,
etc.
(incompetence)
158;
unskillfulness
etc.
699;
disservice;
unfruitfulness
etc.
(unproductiveness)..
169;
labor in vain,
labor lost,
labor of Sisyphus;
lost trouble,
lost labor;
work of Penelope;
sleeveless errand,
wild goose chase,
mere farce.
tautology
etc.
(repetition)
104;
supererogation
etc.
(redundancy)
641.
vanitas vanitatum [Lat.],
vanity,
inanity,
worthlessness,
nugacity†;
triviality
etc.
(unimportance)
643.
caput mortuum [Lat.],
waste paper,
dead letter;
blunt tool.
litter,
rubbish,
junk,
lumber,
odds and ends,
cast-off clothes;
button top;
shoddy;
rags,
orts†,
trash,
refuse,
sweepings,
scourings,
offscourings†,
waste,
rubble,
debris,
detritus;
stubble,
leavings;
broken meat;
dregs
etc.
(dirt)
653;
weeds,
tares;
rubbish heap,
dust hole;
rudera†,
deads†.
fruges consumere natus [Lat.]
[Horace].
etc.
(drone)
683
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Moby thesaurus: abortion, abortive attempt, bootless errand, dud, labor in vain, labor of Sisyphus, lost, merry chase, miscarriage, miscarrying, misfire, snipe hunt, vain attempt, waste of breath, waste of labor, waste of time, wet squib, work of Penelope.
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