The fruitless pursuit of something unattainable.

Roget 608: caprice, fancy, humor; whim, whimsy, whimsey^†, whimwham^†; crotchet, capriccio, quirk, freak, maggot, fad, vagary, prank, fit, flimflam, escapade, boutade [Fr.], wild-goose chase; capriciousness etc. adj.; kink.    ... show more

Roget 699: unskillfulness etc. adj.; want of skill etc. 698; incompetence, incompentency^†; inability, infelicity, indexterity^†, inexperience; disqualification, unproficiency^†; quackery.    folly, stupidity etc. 499; indiscretion etc. (rashness) 863; thoughtlessness etc. (inattention) 458 (neglect) 460; sabotage.    mismanagement, misconduct; impolicy^†; maladministration; misrule, misgovernment, misapplication, misdirection, misfeasance; petticoat government.    absence of rule, rule of thumb; bungling etc. v.; failure etc. 732; screw loose: too many cooks.    blunder etc. (mistake) 495; etourderie gaucherie [Fr.], act of folly, balourdise^†; botch, botchery^†; bad job, sad work.    sprat sent out to catch a whale, much ado about nothing, wild-goose chase.    bungler etc. 701; fool etc. 501.    ... show more

Dutch: jacht