ask for the moon

verb

To claim or desire something that one cannot have.

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Meanings

verbask for the moon (third-person singular simple present asks for the moon, present participle asking for the moon, simple past and past participle asked for the moon)

present singular third person asks for the moon · participle present asking for the moon · participle past asked for the moon · past asked for the moon

  1. idiomaticTo claim or desire something that one cannot have.

    Major publishers think they are taking enough risk by simply publishing gay material. To want them to publish challenging, original gay books is asking them for the moon when they think they're already giving us the stars.

    1987 February 1, T. R. Witomski, “Zeitgeist or Poltergeist? Why Gay Books Are So Bad”, in Gay Community News, volume 14, number 28, page 8

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
chase a rainbow

Translations

Catalan demanar la lluna
  • demanar la llunaTranslations
Finnish pyytää kuuta taivaalta
  • pyytää kuuta taivaaltaTranslations
French demander la lune
  • demander la luneTranslations
Italian chiedere la luna
  • chiedere la lunaTranslations
Polish chcieć gwiazdki z nieba
  • chcieć gwiazdki z niebaTranslations
Portuguese pedir o impossível
  • pedir o impossívelTranslations
Russian but see проси́ть доста́ть луну́ с не́ба
  • but see проси́ть доста́ть луну́ с не́ба (prosítʹ dostátʹ lunú s néba)Translations
Spanish pedir la luna, pedir cotufas en el golfo
  • pedir la lunaTranslations
  • pedir cotufas en el golfoTranslations
  • pedir peras al olmoTranslations
Cite this entry
APA

ask for the moon. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ask%20for%20the%20moon

MLA

“ask for the moon.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ask%20for%20the%20moon. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “ask for the moon,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ask%20for%20the%20moon.

Source: ask for the moon on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.