fight a losing battle

verb

To continue to wage war when it is clear that one is not going to win.

Similar
fight a rearguard action
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Meanings

verbfight a losing battle (third-person singular simple present fights a losing battle, present participle fighting a losing battle, simple past and past participle fought a losing battle)

present singular third person fights a losing battle · participle present fighting a losing battle · participle past fought a losing battle · past fought a losing battle

  1. literallyTo continue to wage war when it is clear that one is not going to win.
  2. figurativelyidiomaticTo attempt a task or other endeavor in which there is no chance that it will succeed.

    The bus was oppressively warm and the air-conditioning was fighting a losing battle with the heat.

    1984, Lucy Gore, Diary Of A Working Mum, page 18

Synonyms & antonyms

Similar
fight a rearguard action
Also see
chase a rainbowfight a rearguard action
Cite this entry
APA

fight a losing battle. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fight%20a%20losing%20battle

MLA

“fight a losing battle.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fight%20a%20losing%20battle. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “fight a losing battle,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fight%20a%20losing%20battle.

Source: fight a losing battle on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.