Meanings
nounneedle in a haystack (plural needles in a haystack or needles in haystacks)
plural needles in a haystack · plural needles in haystacks
- idiomaticSomething that is difficult or impossible to locate.
You'll never find the paper you need on her desk. You're looking for a needle in a haystack.
Translations
Arabic إِبْرَةٌ فِي كَوْمَةِ قَشٍّ
- إِبْرَةٌ فِي كَوْمَةِ قَشٍّ (ʔibratun fī kawmati qaššin)idiomatic
Catalan cercar una agulla en un paller, buscar una agulla en un paller
- cercar una agulla en un palleridiomatic
- buscar una agulla en un palleridiomatic
- agulla en un palleridiomatic
Chinese Mandarin 大海撈針 /大海捞针, 海底撈針 /海底捞针
- 大海撈針 /大海捞针 (dàhǎilāozhēn)idiomatic
- 海底撈針 /海底捞针 (hǎidǐlāozhēn)idiomatic
Czech jehla v kupce sena
- jehla v kupce senaidiomatic
Dutch naald in een hooiberg
- naald in een hooibergidiomatic
Finnish neula heinäsuovassa
- neula heinäsuovassaidiomatic
French chercher une aiguille dans une botte de foin
- chercher une aiguille dans une botte de foinidiomatic
German Nadel im Heuhaufen
- Nadel im Heuhaufenidiomatic
Greek βελόνα στ’ άχυρο, ψύλλους στ’ άχυρο
- βελόνα στ’ άχυρο (velóna st’ áchyro)idiomatic
- ψύλλους στ’ άχυρο (psýllous st’ áchyro)idiomatic
Hebrew מַחַט בַּעֲרֵמָת שַׁחַת
- מַחַט בַּעֲרֵמָת שַׁחַת (máẖat ba'aremát sháẖat)idiomatic
Hungarian tű a szénakazalban
- tű a szénakazalbanidiomatic
Icelandic saumnál í heystakki
- saumnál í heystakkiidiomatic
Irish táilliúir i mbruth faoi thír
- táilliúir i mbruth faoi thíridiomatic
Italian ago in un pagliaio
- ago in un pagliaioidiomatic
Japanese 干し草の山の針
- 干し草の山の針 (hoshikusa-no yama-no hari)idiomatic
Latin nodum in scirpo quaerere
- nodum in scirpo quaerereidiomatic
Polish igła w stogu siana
- igła w stogu sianaidiomatic
Portuguese agulha num palheiro
- agulha num palheiroidiomatic
Romanian acul în carul cu fân
- acul în carul cu fânidiomatic
Russian иго́лка в сто́ге се́на, иска́ть иго́лку в сто́ге се́на
- иго́лка в сто́ге се́на (igólka v stóge séna)idiomatic
- иска́ть иго́лку в сто́ге се́на (iskátʹ igólku v stóge séna)idiomatic
Spanish aguja en un pajar
- aguja en un pajaridiomatic
Swedish nål i en höstack
- nål i en höstackidiomatic
Turkish samanlıkta iğne
- samanlıkta iğneidiomatic
Cite this entry
APA
needle in a haystack. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/needle%20in%20a%20haystack
MLA
“needle in a haystack.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/needle%20in%20a%20haystack. Accessed November 5, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “needle in a haystack,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/needle%20in%20a%20haystack.
Source: needle in a haystack on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.