Meanings
plural Chinamen's chances
- idiomaticoffensiveNo chance; zero possibility.
And if I weren’t here now, Driscoll and Ann wouldn’t have a Chinaman’s chance.’
1932, Delos W. Lovelace, King Kong, published 1965, page 1031 more example
The Chinese, who in the mid-19th century had come to America by the tens of thousands and helped build the transcontinental railway, were on the receiving end of much prejudicial legislation. . . . In the slang wisdom of the day, sojourners from the Middle Kingdom "didn't stand a Chinaman's chance."
2005 January 29, Richard Corliss, “Anna May Wong Did It Right”, in TimeSynonyms: Chinaman's chance in hell
Synonyms & antonyms
nounNo chance; zero possibility.
Origin
Originally a reference to the socio-economic prospects of immigrant Chinese labour in the United States in the 19th century, which often involved highly dangerous work on the railroads.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
Chinaman's chance. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Chinaman's%20chance
“Chinaman's chance.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Chinaman's%20chance. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Chinaman's chance,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Chinaman's%20chance.
Source: Chinaman's chance on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.