Unwinnable

Describing a contest, situation, or conflict that cannot be won; hopeless to achieve victory or success. It suggests a predetermined outcome of failure, often due to insurmountable obstacles, inherent disadvantages, or a fundamentally flawed premise. The term highlights the futility of efforts, emphasizing the certainty of defeat, regardless of the strategies or resources employed. It can apply to games, wars, negotiations, or personal struggles where triumph is demonstrably out of reach. The term emphasizes the pre-determined nature of the loss.

Unwinnable meaning with examples

• Despite their valiant efforts and strategic maneuvers, the outnumbered soldiers knew the battle was unwinnable. The superior weaponry and strategic placement of the enemy forces ensured their eventual defeat. Exhausted, they knew the war was a cruel demonstration of an unwinnable conflict.
• Negotiations with the hostile nation quickly proved unwinnable; their demands were completely unreasonable, and their unwillingness to compromise meant any attempt at an agreement was doomed from the start. Diplomacy, in this case, turned out to be an unwinnable struggle.
• The political candidate knew the election was unwinnable due to the scandal that engulfed his campaign. With his reputation tarnished and public trust shattered, he decided against wasting further resources on a cause he knew was an unwinnable situation.
• After years of fighting, the addiction, a relentless, insidious foe, seemed unwinnable. Despite therapy, support groups, and medication, the cravings persisted, illustrating that the long struggle was a harsh unwinnable fight.