not have a prayer
Doomed to fail
To not have a prayer is to have no chance whatsoever of succeeding: The underdog team doesn't have a prayer against the defending champions.
The expression suggests that even divine intervention couldn't help.
Sometimes shortened to not a prayer.
- screwedSecured with threads
- snowball's chance in hellInevitable failure assured
- doomedDestined for destruction
- dead on arrivalLifeless upon reaching destination
- lost causeEndeavor certain to fail
hopeless · kiss of death · miracle · unwinnable · impossible · divine intervention · unattainable · underdog · no chance · slim to none · futile · insurmountable · dead in the water · up a creek · out of luck · unlikely · unachievable · long shot