chasing shadows
Grasping at air
Chasing shadows means pursuing something illusory or unattainable—wasting effort on things that don't exist or can't be caught.
Like literal shadows, the target seems real but has no substance: The detective spent years chasing shadows before realizing his suspect was innocent.
The phrase often implies futility or self-deception in the pursuit.
- pursuingSeeking to attain
- elusiveHard to find
- futileIncapable of producing results
- fool's errandHopeless, pointless task
- tilting at windmillsAttacking nonexistent threats
phantom · illusion · fleeting · grasping · darkness · twilight · silhouette · vanishing · thin air · ghostly · hunting · desperate · grasping at straws · ephemeral · mirages · wisps · intangible · fruitless
- Futile tasksfool's errand, tilting at windmills, herding cats, beating dead horse, rearranging deck chairs
- wild goose chasesfool's errand, snipe hunt, futile effort
chasing shadowsbearing fruit
Generating successful outcomes
making progress · hitting the mark · paying dividends · striking gold · gaining traction
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