biːt ə ded hɔrs
Animals
informal
intermediate
- Literally:
- To hit a horse that is already dead
What does "beat a dead horse" mean?
- To continue arguing or discussing something that has already been decided
- To waste effort on something that is already finished or hopeless
Examples
- We've made our decision; stop beating a dead horse.
- Bringing up that old argument is just beating a dead horse.
- I know I'm beating a dead horse, but I still think we were right.
Origin
First appeared in the mid-19th century. A dead horse cannot be made to move no matter how much you beat it, making the effort pointless. British English uses 'flog a dead horse.'
How to use it
American English uses 'beat' while British English prefers 'flog.' Very common for telling someone to drop a topic that's been settled.
Similar expressions
flog a dead horse
waste your breath
pointless effort
Opposites
drop it
move on
Related idioms
- kill two birds with one stone
To accomplish two goals with a single action
- let the cat out of the bag
To reveal a secret accidentally
- elephant in the room
An obvious problem or issue that everyone is aware of but no one wants to discuss
- don't count your chickens before they hatch
Don't assume success before it actually happens
- hold your horses
To wait and be patient
- fish out of water
Someone who feels awkward or uncomfortable in a particular situation
Use it in a practice answer
Try "beat a dead horse" in a CELPIP-style Speaking or Writing task. The AI feedback tells you whether your word choice worked.