Meanings
- idiomaticHyperbole to illustrate something that is impossible to do or to make happen.
Getting George to wake up before 7 o'clock is harder than getting a camel through the eye of a needle.
2 more examples
1795, John Swanwick (as "Snub"), "To WILLIAM WILCOCKS, Esquire, L. L. D. and DUke of New-York, &c.", in A Rub from Snub; or a cursory analytical epistle, page 57, quoting Wilcocks in the first footnote. Alluding to the exordium of his writings againſt the democrats, wherein he ſays “ It is a difficult for a party-man to be an honeſt man, as for a camel to go through the eye of a needle,” whereby he moſt emphatically declares his own diſhoneſty at the very firſt daſh of his pen.
1825, "Sir H. L.", in The Political Correspondence of the Leading Members of Parliament with the the Speaker of the House of Commons on Emancipation, James Bigg (publ.), page 83. You are endeavouring to pass a bill that never can and that never will pass the House of Lords. Do you want to make a camel go through the eye of a needle?
Origin
With reference to the New Testament, Mark 10.25, Mat. 19.24 and Luke 18.25. See the Citations page for those texts.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic حَتَّى يَلِجَ الْجَمَلُ فِي سَمِّ الْخِيَاطِ
- حَتَّى يَلِجَ الْجَمَلُ فِي سَمِّ الْخِيَاطِ (ḥattā yalija l-jamalu fī sammi l-ḵiyāṭi)impossible
Finnish kuin kamelin käydä neulansilmän lävitse
- kuin kamelin käydä neulansilmän lävitseimpossible
French faire passer un chameau par le chas d'une aiguille
- faire passer un chameau par le chas d'une aiguilleimpossible
German eher geht ein Kamel durch ein Nadelöhr
- eher geht ein Kamel durch ein Nadelöhrimpossible
Hebrew הִכְנִיס פִּיל בְּקוּף הַמַּחַט
- הִכְנִיס פִּיל בְּקוּף הַמַּחַט (hichnís pil b'quf hamáẖat)impossible
Polish łatwiej jest wielbłądowi przejść przez ucho igielne
- łatwiej jest wielbłądowi przejść przez ucho igielneimpossible
Turkish deveyi hendekten atlatma daha kolaydır
- deveyi hendekten atlatma daha kolaydırimpossible
Cite this entry
camel through the eye of a needle. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/camel%20through%20the%20eye%20of%20a%20needle
“camel through the eye of a needle.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/camel%20through%20the%20eye%20of%20a%20needle. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “camel through the eye of a needle,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/camel%20through%20the%20eye%20of%20a%20needle.
Source: camel through the eye of a needle on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.