Definitions

no-win

[noh-win] / ˈnoʊˈwɪn /

ADJECTIVE

despairing

Synonyms

STRONGEST

grief-stricken melancholic melancholy pessimistic suicidal

STRONG

blue dejected depressed oppressed sunk

WEAK

anxious at end of one's rope brokenhearted can't win cynical desperate disconsolate downcast forlorn frantic hopeless in pain in the dumps in the pits in the soup inconsolable miserable not a prayer sad shot down strabilious weighed down wretched

Antonyms

STRONG

cheerful encouraged happy joyous

WEAK

confident expectant hopeful

ADJECTIVE

desperate

Synonyms

STRONGEST

despondent forlorn futile sad vain

STRONG

downcast goner

WEAK

at end of one's rope back to the wall can't win dead duck despairing desponding gone hard up in the soup in the toilet inconsolable irrecoverable irremediable irretrievable no chance running out of time sunk up against it up the creek useless wretched

Antonyms

STRONGEST

cheerful happy hopeful joyful

WEAK

calm confident content contented satisfactory satisfied secure unworried

ADJECTIVE

hopeless

Synonyms

STRONGEST

desperate forlorn helpless impossible pointless sad tragic useless

WEAK

bad beyond recall cynical dejected demoralized despairing despondent disconsolate discouraging downhearted fatal gone goner ill-fated impracticable in despair incurable irredeemable irreparable irreversible irrevocable lost menacing past hope shot down sinister sunk threatening unachievable unavailing unfortunate unmitigable up the creek vain woebegone worsening

Antonyms

STRONGEST

cheerful good happy hopeful joyful

WEAK

auspicious bright encouraging expectant optimistic promising propitious rosy

ADJECTIVE

impossible

Synonyms

STRONGEST

absurd futile hopeless impassable impractical inaccessible inconceivable insurmountable preposterous unattainable unimaginable unreasonable unthinkable unworkable useless

STRONG

visionary

WEAK

beyond contrary to reason cureless hardly possible hundred-to-one impervious impracticable inexecutable infeasible irrealizable irreparable no-go not a prayer out of the question too much unachievable uncorrectable unfeasible unobtainable unrecoverable way-out

Antonyms

STRONGEST

believable conceivable hopeful imaginable logical practical reasonable sensible

WEAK

achievable obtainable possible

ADJECTIVE

insurmountable

Synonyms

STRONGEST

hopeless impassable impregnable invincible overwhelming unbeatable

WEAK

forget it inaccessible indomitable ineluctable insuperable not a prayer unconquerable unmasterable

Antonyms

STRONGEST

beatable

WEAK

attainable defeatable possible surmountable

ADJECTIVE

irremediable

Synonyms

WEAK

bad beyond recall cureless cynical dejected demoralized despairing desperate despondent disconsolate discouraging downhearted fatal forlorn gone goner helpless ill-fated impossible impracticable in despair incurable irredeemable irreparable irreversible irrevocable lost menacing past hope pointless sad shot down sinister sunk threatening tragic unachievable unavailing unfortunate unmitigable up the creek useless vain woebegone worsening

ADJECTIVE

unattainable

Synonyms

STRONGEST

futile hopeless impassable impervious impractical inaccessible inconceivable insurmountable unimaginable unreasonable unthinkable unworkable useless

WEAK

absurd beyond contrary to reason cureless hardly possible hundred-to-one impracticable inexecutable infeasible irrealizable irreparable no-go not a prayer out of the question preposterous too much unachievable uncorrectable unfeasible unobtainable unrealizable unrecoverable visionary way-out

Antonyms

STRONGEST

believable conceivable hopeful imaginable open practical reasonable sensible

ADJECTIVE

unrealizable

Synonyms

WEAK

absurd beyond contrary to reason cureless futile hardly possible hopeless hundred-to-one impassable impervious impracticable impractical inaccessible inconceivable inexecutable infeasible insurmountable irrealizable irreparable no-go not a prayer out of the question preposterous too much unachievable unattainable uncorrectable unfeasible unimaginable unobtainable unreasonable unrecoverable unthinkable unworkable useless visionary way-out

ADJECTIVE

unworkable

Synonyms

STRONGEST

absurd futile impassable impractical unattainable unreasonable unthinkable useless

WEAK

beyond contrary to reason cureless hardly possible hopeless hundred-to-one impervious impracticable inaccessible inconceivable inexecutable infeasible insurmountable irrealizable irreparable no-go not a prayer out of the question preposterous too much unachievable uncorrectable unfeasible unimaginable unobtainable unrealizable unrecoverable visionary way-out

Antonyms

STRONGEST

logical practical reasonable sensible

ADJECTIVE

vain

Synonyms

STRONGEST

frivolous fruitless petty trivial

WEAK

abortive barren bootless delusive delusory empty going nowhere hollow idle in vicious circle inefficacious insignificant misleading not a prayer nugatory on a treadmill otiose paltry pointless profitless puny senseless shuck slight sterile time-wasting trifling unavailing unimportant unnotable unproductive unprofitable valueless void worthless

Antonyms

STRONGEST

consequential important significant useful

WEAK

modest possible shy

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.

I’ve put machines, and my friends and family, in a no-win situation.

From Slate • May 6, 2026

"They have got themselves into this no-win situation where Bashir's now become sort of unselectable and that's not a good thing," former England spinner Phil Tufnell told the Test Match Special podcast.

From BBC • Dec. 24, 2025

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

From MarketWatch • Nov. 4, 2025

When I brought up the Central Park Zoo, and he said, “They were definitely in a no-win situation,” he might have been speaking about zoos in general.

From Salon • Feb. 18, 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

no-win

Example Sentences

Related Words