bang one's head against a brick wall

English

Alternative forms

Many versions of this idiom exist. For instance, bang may be replaced with beat or run. Against can be replaced with into, and brick can be replaced with stone. In addition, the idiom is often simplified into beat (or bang) one's head against the wall.

Pronunciation

• Audio (AU)

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Verb

bang one's head against a brick wall (third-person singular simple present bangs one's head against a brick wall, present participle banging one's head against a brick wall, simple past and past participle banged one's head against a brick wall)

1. (intransitive, idiomatic) To waste effort on a futile project.

Translations

to waste effort on a futile project

• Finnish: hakata päätään seinään
• French: perdre son temps (fr)
• Italian: sbattere la testa contro un muro
• Polish: walić głową w mur impf, walić głową w ścianę impf

See also

• beat a dead horse
• flog a dead horse