Some tasks are so hard, they feel like they can never be finished. People use funny or smart sayings to talk about these kinds of jobs. These sayings are called idioms. An idiom is a group of words that means something different from what the words say.
Idioms help us explain things in a fun and easy way. In this article, we’ll look at many idioms that show how tough or silly some tasks can be. These idioms can help you talk about jobs that seem too hard or just plain impossible. Let’s find out what they mean and how you can use them in your own talking or writing.
Idioms for Impossible Task
1. Catch the moon
Meaning: Try to do something that is impossible
Example Sentence:
• He wants to catch the moon by winning every game without practice.
• Asking for no homework ever is like trying to catch the moon.
Other ways to say: Reach for the impossible, ask for too much
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from the idea that no one can grab the moon with their hands.
Usage: Used when someone tries something that cannot happen.
2. Build castles in the air
Meaning: Make plans that can’t really happen
Example Sentence:
• He’s building castles in the air thinking he can fly like a bird.
• She dreams of riding a unicorn—just castles in the air.
Other ways to say: Daydream, wish for the impossible
Fun Fact/Origin: This phrase has been used for hundreds of years to talk about dreams that aren’t real.
Usage: Used when someone makes big plans with no chance of coming true.
3. Get blood from a stone
Meaning: Try to get something from someone who doesn’t have it
Example Sentence:
• Asking him for candy is like trying to get blood from a stone—he has none.
• You can’t get answers from her, it’s like blood from a stone.
Other ways to say: Try the impossible, waste time
Fun Fact/Origin: Stones don’t have blood, so it’s impossible to get any.
Usage: Used when trying to do something that’s just not going to work.
4. Herd cats
Meaning: Try to control something very hard or messy
Example Sentence:
• Babysitting five toddlers is like herding cats.
• Getting everyone to sit quietly felt like herding cats.
Other ways to say: Try to manage chaos, deal with wild things
Fun Fact/Origin: Cats don’t follow orders like dogs, so herding them is nearly impossible.
Usage: Used when managing people or things that won’t cooperate.
5. Nail jelly to a wall
Meaning: Try to do something that’s not possible
Example Sentence:
• Explaining my dream to her is like nailing jelly to a wall.
• You can’t teach a fish to sing—it’s like nailing jelly to a wall.
Other ways to say: Try to explain the unexplainable, attempt the impossible
Fun Fact/Origin: Jelly is soft and slippery, so you can’t nail it to anything.
Usage: Used when something is too hard to describe or do.
6. Fit a square peg in a round hole
Meaning: Try to make something work where it doesn’t belong
Example Sentence:
• He doesn’t like sports, so joining the team is like a square peg in a round hole.
• That new rule doesn’t work here—like a square peg in a round hole.
Other ways to say: Not a good fit, mismatch
Fun Fact/Origin: Pegs and holes were once used in puzzles and toys; the wrong shape doesn’t fit.
Usage: Used when something or someone doesn’t belong or doesn’t match.
7. Push water uphill
Meaning: Try to do something very difficult or impossible
Example Sentence:
• Getting my little brother to clean up is like pushing water uphill.
• Studying with the TV on is like pushing water uphill.
Other ways to say: Work against the odds, struggle
Fun Fact/Origin: Water flows down naturally, not up.
Usage: Used when something is extra hard to do.
8. Teach a fish to climb a tree
Meaning: Expect someone to do something they can’t
Example Sentence:
• Asking her to be quiet all day is like teaching a fish to climb a tree.
• He’s great at math but not sports—it’s like teaching a fish to climb a tree.
Other ways to say: Expect too much, unfair task
Fun Fact/Origin: Fish swim; they don’t climb.
Usage: Used when asking someone to do something they’re not meant to do.
9. Squeeze water from a rock
Meaning: Try to get something that’s not there
Example Sentence:
• You’re trying to squeeze water from a rock asking her for candy.
• He has no money—it’s like squeezing water from a rock.
Other ways to say: Try the impossible, make something from nothing
Fun Fact/Origin: Rocks are dry, so you can’t squeeze water from them.
Usage: Used when there’s nothing left to give or get.
10. Chase your tail
Meaning: Keep doing something over and over without progress
Example Sentence:
• I’ve been chasing my tail all day trying to clean the messy room.
• Doing homework with no power felt like chasing my tail.
Other ways to say: Go in circles, get nowhere
Fun Fact/Origin: Dogs chase their tails but never catch them.
Usage: Used when someone is stuck doing the same thing with no result.
11. Climb a greased pole
Meaning: Try to succeed at something very hard
Example Sentence:
• Winning that contest is like climbing a greased pole.
• It’s like a greased pole trying to get him to follow the rules.
Other ways to say: Struggle to succeed, face a tough challenge
Fun Fact/Origin: Poles used to be greased during fairs for games—very slippery!
Usage: Used when trying to succeed feels impossible.
12. Milk a bull
Meaning: Do something that can’t work
Example Sentence:
• Asking him for advice is like trying to milk a bull.
• That idea is like milking a bull—no way it’ll work.
Other ways to say: Foolish idea, waste of time
Fun Fact/Origin: Bulls don’t produce milk.
Usage: Used when someone tries a task that won’t succeed.
13. Dig a hole to China
Meaning: Try to do something way too big or silly
Example Sentence:
• He started digging in the yard to find treasure—like digging a hole to China.
• That plan feels like digging to China.
Other ways to say: Try something silly, impossible
Fun Fact/Origin: People once joked that digging deep enough would lead to China.
Usage: Used when someone has a wild or too big plan.
14. Catch lightning in a bottle
Meaning: Try to trap something that can’t be caught
Example Sentence:
• Hoping everything goes perfect is like catching lightning in a bottle.
• That winning shot was like catching lightning in a bottle.
Other ways to say: Rare success, very lucky
Fun Fact/Origin: Lightning is powerful and can’t be kept in a bottle.
Usage: Used when something very rare or unlikely happens.
15. Make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear
Meaning: Try to make something fancy out of something cheap
Example Sentence:
• He’s trying to turn that tiny shed into a mansion—it’s a silk purse from a sow’s ear.
• You can’t make a fancy dinner from old leftovers.
Other ways to say: Can’t make something good from something bad
Fun Fact/Origin: This old saying comes from trying to use a pig’s ear (sow) to make something elegant.
Usage: Used when people try to turn something plain into something amazing.
16. Blow against the wind
Meaning: Work hard with no effect
Example Sentence:
• Arguing with him is like blowing against the wind.
• Trying to change the rule is like blowing against the wind.
Other ways to say: Waste energy, pointless effort
Fun Fact/Origin: Wind pushes back, making it hard to move forward.
Usage: Used when you try but nothing changes.
17. Walk through a brick wall
Meaning: Try to do something you just can’t
Example Sentence:
• Passing that test without studying is like walking through a brick wall.
• Getting that old car to run is like walking through a brick wall.
Other ways to say: Face something unmovable, impossible task
Fun Fact/Origin: Brick walls are solid and can’t be walked through.
Usage: Used when a task is completely blocked.
18. Hold the wind in your hands
Meaning: Try to control something you can’t see or catch
Example Sentence:
• Managing his mood is like holding the wind in your hands.
• That plan is like holding the wind—it’ll slip away.
Other ways to say: Try to control the uncontrollable
Fun Fact/Origin: Wind can be felt but not held.
Usage: Used when something is impossible to control.
19. Dry the ocean
Meaning: Try to finish something way too big
Example Sentence:
• Cleaning that messy garage is like drying the ocean.
• Trying to fix every problem at once is like drying the ocean.
Other ways to say: Do something too big, hopeless task
Fun Fact/Origin: Oceans are huge—no way to dry them by hand.
Usage: Used when a task is way too large to finish.
20. Ice skate uphill
Meaning: Try something the wrong way
Example Sentence:
• You’re ice skating uphill trying to skip studying.
• He’s ice skating uphill thinking shortcuts will help.
Other ways to say: Go the hard way, make it tougher
Fun Fact/Origin: Ice skating works downhill, not up!
Usage: Used when someone makes things harder for themselves.
21. Rope the wind
Meaning: Try to catch or control something that can’t be held
Example Sentence:
• Getting all the kids to sit still was like trying to rope the wind.
• Herding those puppies felt like roping the wind.
Other ways to say: Chase the impossible, catch the uncatchable
Fun Fact/Origin: You can see the wind, but you can’t catch it.
Usage: Used when a task is wild and out of control.
22. Chase rainbows
Meaning: Go after something you can never reach
Example Sentence:
• He’s chasing rainbows thinking he’ll be famous overnight.
• That plan is just chasing rainbows.
Other ways to say: Follow a dream that won’t come true
Fun Fact/Origin: Rainbows look close but disappear when you go near.
Usage: Used when someone wants something impossible.
23. Bite the moon
Meaning: Try something far out of reach
Example Sentence:
• Hoping for perfect weather every day is like biting the moon.
• He’s trying to bite the moon by finishing a year’s work in one night.
Other ways to say: Reach too far, aim too high
Fun Fact/Origin: You can see the moon but not bite it.
Usage: Used when someone wants what can’t be done.
24. Make water run uphill
Meaning: Force something to go the opposite way
Example Sentence:
• Trying to skip practice and still win is like making water run uphill.
• That plan is like forcing water to go up—it doesn’t work.
Other ways to say: Go against nature, try too hard
Fun Fact/Origin: Water naturally goes down, not up.
Usage: Used when people try to force things that don’t work.
25. Speak to a wall
Meaning: Talk to someone who doesn’t listen
Example Sentence:
• Talking to him about chores is like speaking to a wall.
• It’s like a wall—no answers, no change.
Other ways to say: Be ignored, waste your words
Fun Fact/Origin: Walls don’t talk back, just like some people.
Usage: Used when someone won’t listen or care.
26. Make a rope out of sand
Meaning: Try to build something strong with weak things
Example Sentence:
• His plan is like making a rope out of sand—it won’t hold.
• You can’t build a tall tower with weak blocks—it’s like rope from sand.
Other ways to say: Build on a weak base, fail before starting
Fun Fact/Origin: Sand falls apart, not strong like rope.
Usage: Used when a task has no real support.
27. Blow bubbles in a storm
Meaning: Do something small in a huge problem
Example Sentence:
• Fixing that one leak won’t help—it’s like blowing bubbles in a storm.
• One flashlight in a blackout feels like bubbles in a storm.
Other ways to say: Small effort in a big problem
Fun Fact/Origin: Bubbles pop in the wind—they don’t last in storms.
Usage: Used when effort is too small to help.
28. Paint the sky with a brush
Meaning: Try to do something way too big
Example Sentence:
• That idea is like painting the sky with a brush—it’s too much.
• Changing the world overnight? That’s painting the sky.
Other ways to say: Impossible project, huge goal
Fun Fact/Origin: The sky is giant; a little brush won’t cover it.
Usage: Used for huge plans that can’t work.
29. Turn lead into gold
Meaning: Try to change something basic into something great
Example Sentence:
• Turning that old toy into a treasure is like turning lead into gold.
• That plan is like magic—turning lead into gold.
Other ways to say: Do magic, change the unchangeable
Fun Fact/Origin: Alchemists once tried to change metal into gold.
Usage: Used when someone tries to make something plain into something amazing.
30. Run a race with no finish line
Meaning: Work hard but never finish
Example Sentence:
• Cleaning the house every day feels like a race with no finish line.
• Homework that never ends is a race with no end.
Other ways to say: Endless work, nonstop task
Fun Fact/Origin: Races always have an end—this one doesn’t.
Usage: Used when something keeps going without a stop.
31. Empty the sea with a spoon
Meaning: Try to do a giant task with the wrong tool
Example Sentence:
• Trying to fix the whole school’s mess alone is like emptying the sea with a spoon.
• His tiny plan is like using a spoon on the ocean.
Other ways to say: Not enough effort, wrong tool
Fun Fact/Origin: The sea is too big for a spoon.
Usage: Used when someone uses small help for a big job.
32. Ask a stone to sing
Meaning: Expect something that will never happen
Example Sentence:
• Asking him to dance is like asking a stone to sing.
• That idea is like expecting a stone to talk.
Other ways to say: Expect the impossible, wish for magic
Fun Fact/Origin: Stones don’t talk or sing!
Usage: Used when someone hopes for the unreal.
33. Balance a feather in the wind
Meaning: Try to control something too light or wild
Example Sentence:
• Keeping that balloon steady is like balancing a feather in the wind.
• Her idea is like trying to balance a feather outside in a storm.
Other ways to say: Try to hold the unsteady
Fun Fact/Origin: Feathers blow away easily in wind.
Usage: Used when something can’t be held steady.
34. Lasso a cloud
Meaning: Try to catch something that floats away
Example Sentence:
• His dreams are like lassoing clouds—beautiful but far off.
• That goal is like trying to catch a cloud.
Other ways to say: Go after dreams, hard to grab
Fun Fact/Origin: Clouds look close but can’t be caught.
Usage: Used when someone dreams of far-off things.
35. Bake a cake in the rain
Meaning: Try to do something in the wrong place or time
Example Sentence:
• Planning a picnic during a storm is like baking a cake in the rain.
• You can’t play outside during thunder—it’s like baking in the rain.
Other ways to say: Bad timing, wrong setting
Fun Fact/Origin: Cakes need ovens, not storms!
Usage: Used when someone chooses a bad time for a plan.
36. Swim up a waterfall
Meaning: Try to go against strong forces
Example Sentence:
• Arguing with the teacher felt like swimming up a waterfall.
• Trying to stop that rule was like swimming upward in a fall.
Other ways to say: Fight the current, hard effort
Fun Fact/Origin: Waterfalls go down fast—you can’t swim up.
Usage: Used when someone tries to go against strong forces.
37. Untangle a spider’s web
Meaning: Try to fix something very tricky
Example Sentence:
• Figuring out that story was like untangling a spider’s web.
• His lies made it a big web—hard to fix.
Other ways to say: Try to fix a mess, solve a puzzle
Fun Fact/Origin: Spider webs are fine and sticky—hard to untangle.
Usage: Used when something is very hard to understand or fix.
38. Blow out the sun
Meaning: Try to stop something huge with small effort
Example Sentence:
• Stopping that trend is like blowing out the sun.
• One person can’t stop the internet—it’s like the sun.
Other ways to say: Try to end something too big
Fun Fact/Origin: You can blow candles—not the sun!
Usage: Used when a task is far too big.
39. Freeze fire
Meaning: Try to stop something hot and wild
Example Sentence:
• Calming her anger was like trying to freeze fire.
• That game was so exciting—it couldn’t be cooled down.
Other ways to say: Cool something impossible
Fun Fact/Origin: Fire burns, ice melts—it’s a fight.
Usage: Used when something is too hot or strong to stop.
40. Tame a storm
Meaning: Try to calm a wild situation
Example Sentence:
• The class was wild—it was like taming a storm.
• The crowd at the concert was like a storm to calm.
Other ways to say: Calm chaos, control a mess
Fun Fact/Origin: You can’t tame storms—they’re nature’s power.
Usage: Used when things get out of hand.
41. Flatten a mountain with a broom
Meaning: Try to fix a huge problem with small tools
Example Sentence:
• Using just one teacher to watch 100 kids is like flattening a mountain with a broom.
• That small fix won’t help—it’s like brushing a mountain.
Other ways to say: Not enough help, tiny effort
Fun Fact/Origin: Mountains are huge—brooms are small.
Usage: Used when a task is way too big.
42. Hang clothes on a beam of light
Meaning: Try to use something that’s not solid
Example Sentence:
• Building trust on lies is like hanging clothes on light.
• You can’t carry books with a breeze.
Other ways to say: Use the wrong support, wish for too much
Fun Fact/Origin: Light isn’t solid—you can’t hang things on it.
Usage: Used when the foundation of a plan is too weak.
43. Count the stars in the sky
Meaning: Try to count something endless
Example Sentence:
• Counting his excuses is like counting stars.
• She made so many wishes—it was like stars in the sky.
Other ways to say: Endless amount, too many to track
Fun Fact/Origin: There are millions of stars—no one can count them all.
Usage: Used when something can’t be counted.
44. Stop time with your hands
Meaning: Try to control something that never stops
Example Sentence:
• Wishing to stay in childhood forever is like stopping time with your hands.
• That vacation ended too fast—time can’t be held.
Other ways to say: Try to freeze the moment
Fun Fact/Origin: Time moves on no matter what.
Usage: Used when people wish to pause life.
45. Sew fog with a needle
Meaning: Try to fix something you can’t touch
Example Sentence:
• That idea is like sewing fog—you can’t do it.
• She’s trying to fix feelings like sewing fog.
Other ways to say: Try to repair the unfixable
Fun Fact/Origin: Fog is made of tiny water drops—you can’t sew it.
Usage: Used when trying something too delicate or impossible.
Quiz: Idioms for Impossible Task
Instructions: Read each question and the answer choices carefully. Pick the letter that best matches the meaning of the phrase or expression.
Question Key
1. What does “catch the moon” mean?
A) Sleep outside
B) Try something impossible
C) Look at stars
2. If someone is “herding cats,” what are they trying to do?
A) Feed animals
B) Paint pictures
C) Control something very hard
3. What does “get blood from a stone” mean?
A) Get something from someone who doesn’t have it
B) Learn about rocks
C) Find a treasure
4. What does it mean to “build castles in the air”?
A) Make a fort outside
B) Create plans that won’t come true
C) Fly a kite
5. If someone is “trying to nail jelly to a wall,” what are they doing?
A) Playing with food
B) Trying something that doesn’t work
C) Fixing a wall
6. What does “teach a fish to climb a tree” mean?
A) Play with animals
B) Ask someone to do something they can’t do
C) Train pets
7. If something is like “pushing water uphill,” what does that tell you?
A) It’s fun to do
B) It’s easy work
C) It’s very hard or impossible
8. What does “chase your tail” mean?
A) Play with animals
B) Keep trying but get nowhere
C) Win a race
9. What does “milk a bull” mean?
A) Do something silly or impossible
B) Work on a farm
C) Feed animals
10. What does “empty the sea with a spoon” mean?
A) Go swimming
B) Use small effort for a big task
C) Have lunch at the beach
11. If someone is “blowing bubbles in a storm,” what are they doing?
A) Playing during a storm
B) Doing something fun
C) Trying something small in a big problem
12. What does “flatten a mountain with a broom” mean?
A) Clean the mountain
B) Try to do something way too hard with a weak tool
C) Have a picnic
13. If someone “asks a stone to sing,” what are they doing?
A) Talking to a friend
B) Trying something funny
C) Hoping for something that will never happen
14. What does “turn lead into gold” mean?
A) Do magic
B) Try to make something plain into something special
C) Go shopping
15. What does “stop time with your hands” mean?
A) Make a clock
B) Try to freeze a moment or slow down life
C) Play with watches
Answer Key
- B) Try something impossible
- C) Control something very hard
- A) Get something from someone who doesn’t have it
- B) Create plans that won’t come true
- B) Trying something that doesn’t work
- B) Ask someone to do something they can’t do
- C) It’s very hard or impossible
- B) Keep trying but get nowhere
- A) Do something silly or impossible
- B) Use small effort for a big task
- C) Trying something small in a big problem
- B) Try to do something way too hard with a weak tool
- C) Hoping for something that will never happen
- B) Try to make something plain into something special
- B) Try to freeze a moment or slow down life
Wrapping Up
Idioms make language more fun and clear. When we talk about tasks that are too hard or just can’t happen, idioms help us say that in a simple way. These idioms remind us that not all plans work, and some goals may be too big.
Understanding these idioms can help you know when to try harder—or when to laugh and move on. Next time you face a big challenge, think of these sayings. They might help you smile, even if the task feels too big.
