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Home / Idiom / 劳而无功

to work hard while accomplishing little · to toil to no avail

劳而无功
láo ér wú gōng
Idiom
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Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms
(lit.) to scoop the moon out of the water (idiom) · (fig.) a hopeless endeavor水中捞月shuǐ zhōng lāo yuèrack one's brains in vain · have had all one's pains for nothing · rack one's brains without results · waste one's efforts · fruitless efforts · go on a wild goose chase枉费心机wǎng fèi xīn jīuseless · worthless无用wú yòng(idiom) to have achieved nothing; to be a total failure; to get nowhere一事无成yī shì wú chéngto work to no avail (idiom)徒劳无功tú láo wú gōnglit. to scratch the outside of the boot (idiom) · fig. beside the point · ineffectual隔靴搔痒gé xuē sāo yǎng
Antonyms
to reap where one has not sown (idiom)坐享其成zuò xiǎng qí chéng(idiom) to reap without sowing; to get sth without working for it; to sponge off others不劳而获bù láo ér huò