Lost in the Game: English Vocabulary List

a course or situation that yields no useful results

"The investigation led to a blind alley."

"The investigation led to a blind alley and the detective had to start over with no new clues."

a situation or conflict where the outcome or victory is highly unlikely or unfavorable

"This is a losing battle."

"Trying to convince the committee to change their minds felt like fighting a losing battle."

to be certain to fail because of being in an awful situation

"We are done for."

"With the engine sputtering and no help in sight, the stranded hikers knew they were done for."

used when one's actions failed to achieve any success or make any progress

"My cake is dough."

"After weeks of trying to fix the old car, it became clear that my cake was dough."

to reach the lowest possible point in a particular situation, often in terms of emotional or financial well-being

"He hit rock bottom last year."

"After losing his job and his home he hit rock bottom but then slowly started to rebuild his life."

to have no chance of achieving success

"He has no prayer."

"Given the overwhelming competition, the small startup didn't have a single prayer of securing the contract."

the point at which making further progress becomes nearly impossible

"This is the end of road."

"After hitting so many obstacles, we've reached the end of the road with this project."

used to say that one has no chance in achieving success or is out of luck when trying to do something

"I asked, but no dice."

"He hoped to get a loan, but after explaining his poor credit history, the bank said no dice."

to experience a significant decline, failure, or deterioration in a situation, project, or endeavor

"Our plans went down tubes."

"All their hard work went down the tube when the company suddenly decided to cancel the entire project."

to be extremely unsuccessful or very badly received

"The speech went down lead balloon."

"His controversial proposal to cut funding went down like a lead balloon with the audience."

someone or something that is unsuccessful and in need of help

"The project is a lame duck."

"The struggling startup, a true lame duck, desperately needed a new investor to survive."

someone who keeps failing at things they try to do, particularly in a hilarious or horrendous way

"He is a rotten egg."

"Every time he attempts to cook, the result is a culinary disaster, making him a hilarious rotten egg."

someone who accomplishes nothing or is of no use

"That employee is dead loss."

"Despite his promises, he proved to be a dead loss, contributing nothing to the team's efforts."

to be certain to fail because of being in an awful situation

"We are done for."

"With the unexpected storm approaching, the small boat realized it would be done for if it couldn't reach the harbor."