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Region: General | Usage example: He tilts at windmills by chasing unprovable conspiracies.

Tilt at windmills

Meaning

Attack imaginary enemies or fight quixotic battles.

Usage

Used to describe futile or misguided fights.

Origin & History

Origin notes can vary by region and source; this page gives the commonly reported explanation and usage context.

From Don Quixote tilting his lance at windmills mistaken for giants.

Cervantes' 1605 novel popularized the metaphor.

Related Idioms

Fight fire with fire

Respond to an attack with similar tactics.

Go to the mat

Fight or argue intensely for a cause.

Bitter end

Fight or persist until the very end.

More Idioms

Break the ice

To do or say something to relieve tension or get conversation going in a social situation.

Cut to the chase

Skip ahead to the most important or exciting part of something.

The ball is in your court

It is now your turn to take action or make a decision.

Throw in the towel

To concede defeat or admit a struggle isn't worth continuing.