bang one's head against a brick wall

verb

To waste effort on a futile project.

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Meanings

verbbang one's head against a brick wall (third-person singular simple present bangs one's head against a brick wall, present participle banging one's head against a brick wall, simple past and past participle banged one's head against a brick wall)

present singular third person bangs one's head against a brick wall · participle present banging one's head against a brick wall · participle past banged one's head against a brick wall · past banged one's head against a brick wall

  1. idiomaticintransitiveTo waste effort on a futile project.

Translations

Bulgarian бия си главата в стената
  • бия си главата в стената (bija si glavata v stenata)to waste effort on a futile project
Finnish hakata päätään seinään
  • hakata päätään seinäänto waste effort on a futile project
French perdre son temps
  • perdre son tempsto waste effort on a futile project
Italian sbattere la testa contro un muro
  • sbattere la testa contro un muroto waste effort on a futile project
Polish walić głową w mur, walić głową w ścianę
  • walić głową w murto waste effort on a futile project
  • walić głową w ścianęto waste effort on a futile project
Cite this entry
APA

bang one's head against a brick wall. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bang%20one's%20head%20against%20a%20brick%20wall

MLA

“bang one's head against a brick wall.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bang%20one's%20head%20against%20a%20brick%20wall. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “bang one's head against a brick wall,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bang%20one's%20head%20against%20a%20brick%20wall.

Source: bang one's head against a brick wall on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.