no-win
Every option fails
No-win describes a situation where any choice leads to an unfavorable outcome.
A no-win scenario offers no path to success—you lose regardless of what you do: It was a no-win situation: speak up and look petty, or stay quiet and look weak.
The term often appears in discussions of dilemmas, impossible choices, and lose-lose propositions.
Paradoxical no-win situation
- dilemmaForced choice between undesirables
- quagmireSoft, wet ground
- conundrumPerplexing problem or question
- bindFasten or obligate
plight · morass · vicious circle · double bind · predicament · trap · corner · box
Situation without resolution
- deadlockMutual blocking, no progress
- gridlockComplete mutual obstruction
- standstillTotal cessation of movement
- stalemateMutual obstruction preventing progress
logjam · standoff · Mexican standoff · draw · tie · checkmate · equilibrium · parity
Incapable of producing results
- pointlessLacking any purpose
- doomedDestined for destruction
- bleakDreary and without cheer
- hopelessBeyond possibility of success
impossible · inescapable · inevitable · foregone conclusion · lost cause · fool's errand · Sisyphean · defeatist
Intensely irritating
- vexingCausing mild torment
- maddeningCausing extreme frustration
- dispiritingCausing loss of enthusiasm
- dishearteningCausing loss of hope
demoralizing · discouraging · aggravating · thankless · fruitless · unrewarding · unsatisfying · defeating
catch-22
Paradoxical no-win situation
- dilemmaForced choice between undesirables
- quagmireSoft, wet ground
- conundrumPerplexing problem or question
bind · plight · morass · vicious circle · double bind · predicament · trap · corner · box · fix
impasse
Situation without resolution
- deadlockMutual blocking, no progress
- gridlockComplete mutual obstruction
- standstillTotal cessation of movement
stalemate · logjam · standoff · Mexican standoff · draw · tie · checkmate · equilibrium · parity · truce
futile
Incapable of producing results
hopeless · impossible · inescapable · inevitable · foregone conclusion · lost cause · fool's errand · Sisyphean · defeatist · resignation
exasperating
Intensely irritating
- vexingCausing mild torment
- maddeningCausing extreme frustration
- dispiritingCausing loss of enthusiasm
disheartening · demoralizing · discouraging · aggravating · thankless · fruitless · unrewarding · unsatisfying · defeating · daunting
- tight spotstight spot, corner, trapped, stuck, boxed in
- futilityfutile, futility, in vain, pointlessness, vain
- impassesimpasse, deadlock, stalemate, standstill, gridlock
- predicamentspredicament, dilemma, bind, pickle, pinch
no-winwin-win
Advantageous to both sides
winnable · salvageable · sure thing · solvable · promising
no-winwin-win
Advantageous to both sides
optimal · upper hand · no-lose · advantageous · best-case scenario