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Synonyms

no-win

American  
[noh-win] / ˈnoʊˈwɪn /

adjective

Informal.

  1. denoting a condition in which one cannot benefit, succeed, or win.

    a no-win situation; a no-win war.
no-win British  

adjective

  1. offering no possibility of a favourable outcome (esp in the phrase a no-win situation )

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of no-win

First recorded in 1960–65

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The end result: Renters get caught in something of a no-win situation.

From MarketWatch • Nov. 4, 2025

These tactics deeply annoyed Burns, and they also created a no-win situation for him.

From Slate • Sep. 5, 2025

But in a sense, Fincher was saddled with a no-win situation.

From Salon • Jul. 4, 2025

Many groups say that long term BP and others are pursuing a no-win strategy.

From BBC • Feb. 26, 2025

Jack Neylan was concerned that the demands of Washington service would expose Berkeley’s faculty star to the no-win politics of the nation’s capital.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.