tilts at windmills
Fights imaginary enemies
To tilt at windmills is to fight imaginary enemies or attack problems that don't exist.
The phrase comes from Don Quixote, who mistook windmills for giants and charged them with his lance.
Someone who tilts at windmills wastes energy on futile battles against harmless or nonexistent opponents: He's tilting at windmills if he thinks that petition will change anything.
- Don QuixoteDelusional self-proclaimed knight-errant
- futilityLack of purpose
- chasing rainbowsPursuing unrealistic goals
- misperceptionIncorrect interpretation of reality
- quixoticImpractically pursuing lofty goals
Cervantes · obsession · lost cause · wild goose chase · impracticality · misjudgment · delusion · barking up the wrong tree · beaten path · self-deception · knight-errant · romantic hero · naivety · blind faith · pie in the sky · irrationality · overreach · Sancho Panza
tilts at windmillspicks one's battles
Chooses which conflicts merit effort
bides one's time · cuts one's losses · keeps one's powder dry
tilts at windmillsmoves on
Stops dwelling, advances
rolls with the punches · picks up the pieces · comes to terms with
tilts at windmillsgets results
makes a difference · rolls up one's sleeves · moves the needle · cuts to the chase
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