a wild goose chase
Say it: a wild GOOS chase /ə ˌwaɪld ˈɡuːs ˌtʃeɪs/ · idiom
What “a wild goose chase” means
A pointless search for something you won't find.
More precisely: A pointless, hopeless search for something you won't find.
Example: “The 'shortcut' sent us on a wild goose chase round the industrial estate.”
When to use it
In everyday conversation, when bad information sends someone on a frustrating search that leads nowhere.
Similar words
fool's errand, futile search
Where it comes from
First recorded in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, where it meant a kind of horse race.
Quick check
You spend hours visiting shops for a toy, then discover it was invented as a joke and never existed. That search was…
a wild goose chase or a treasure hunt?
Show the answer
a wild goose chase
Learn 5 new words a day in Kinquire. Each with a picture, how to say it, an example and a quick check, then spaced review so you actually keep them. Free to start.
Learn “a wild goose chase”