Wild Goose Chase

Pronunciation: /waɪld ɡus tʃeɪs/

Definitions of wild goose chase

noun a wild or absurd search for something unattainable

Example Sentences

A1 I went on a wild goose chase trying to find my lost keys.

A2 The children were on a wild goose chase looking for buried treasure in the backyard.

B1 The detective realized he had been on a wild goose chase after following the wrong suspect.

B2 The scientist spent years on a wild goose chase trying to prove his controversial theory.

C1 The journalist's investigation turned out to be a wild goose chase, leading to no significant findings.

C2 The search for the missing hiker turned into a wild goose chase as conflicting information surfaced.

Examples of wild goose chase in a Sentence

formal The detective realized he was on a wild goose chase after following a false lead.

informal I think looking for my keys in the living room is just a wild goose chase.

slang Searching for that rare vinyl record is like going on a wild goose chase.

figurative Trying to convince her to change her mind is like chasing a wild goose.

Grammatical Forms of wild goose chase

• past tense: chased
• plural: wild goose chases
• comparative: more wild goose chase
• superlative: most wild goose chase
• present tense: chases
• future tense: will chase
• perfect tense: have chased
• continuous tense: is chasing
• singular: wild goose chase
• positive degree: wild goose chase
• infinitive: to chase
• gerund: chasing
• participle: chasing

Origin and Evolution of wild goose chase

First Known Use: 1595 year

Language of Origin: English

Story behind the word: The phrase 'wild goose chase' originates from the sport of falconry in medieval times, where a 'wild goose chase' referred to a difficult and fruitless pursuit of a target.

Evolution of the word: Over time, the phrase evolved to describe any futile or hopeless pursuit, unrelated to falconry or hunting.