lost cause

• Personne ou chose qui est sans espoir, qui ne peut pas être sauvée ou qui est vouée à l'échec malgré tous les efforts déployés.

A person or thing that is hopeless, cannot be saved, or is certain to fail no matter what effort is made.

1. Hopeless situationB2informal

   A person or thing that cannot be helped, saved, or improved.

   cause perdue

   • Trying to convince him is a lost cause; he never changes his mind.
   • The project was a lost cause after the funding was cut.
   • She considered her old car a lost cause and finally bought a new one.