31 Idioms for Never Going to Happen

We all encounter situations where something seems so unlikely or impossible that we’re certain it’s “never going to happen.” Whether it’s a dream that’s way out of reach, a wish that’s simply unrealistic, or a situation that has no chance of changing, there are plenty of idioms in the English language to express the idea that something will never occur.

From “when pigs fly” to “not in a million years,” these idioms help us emphasize the impossibility of an event or situation. In this article, we’ll explore 31 idioms for never going to happen to help you express the unlikeliness of something in a colorful and creative way. These idioms are perfect for conversations where you want to show doubt or humor about an unlikely possibility.

1. When pigs fly

Meaning: Something that is impossible or extremely unlikely to ever happen
In a Sentence:
– “I’ll believe he’ll ever change his mind when pigs fly.”
– “She said she’d quit her job? When pigs fly!”
Other Ways to Say: Never in a million years / Not going to happen

2. Not in a million years

Meaning: A way of saying something will never happen, no matter how much time passes
In a Sentence:
– “I’ll never be able to afford that luxury vacation, not in a million years.”
– “You think I’ll agree to that? Not in a million years.”
Other Ways to Say: Impossible / Not going to happen

3. When hell freezes over

Meaning: To describe something that will never happen, as hell freezing is considered impossible
In a Sentence:
– “He’ll apologize to me when hell freezes over.”
– “I’ll agree to that plan when hell freezes over!”
Other Ways to Say: Not going to happen / Not ever

4. When the cows come home

Meaning: Refers to something that will never happen, or will happen far in the distant future
In a Sentence:
– “You can wait for him to finish that project when the cows come home.”
– “I’m sure she’ll get that promotion when the cows come home.”
Other Ways to Say: Never / It’s never going to happen

5. When the stars align

Meaning: Used ironically to describe an event that would have to happen perfectly in order to occur, implying it’s unlikely
In a Sentence:
– “He’ll get the promotion when the stars align.”
– “I’ll believe you’re telling the truth when the stars align.”
Other Ways to Say: In an ideal world / Highly unlikely

6. Like waiting for a bus that will never come

Meaning: To wait for something that will never happen or is incredibly unlikely
In a Sentence:
– “Trying to get him to change his mind is like waiting for a bus that will never come.”
– “We’ll be here forever waiting for that meeting, like waiting for a bus that will never come.”
Other Ways to Say: Hopeless / Pointless

7. When donkeys fly

Meaning: Another way of saying something will never happen, as donkeys obviously cannot fly
In a Sentence:
– “He’ll be on time when donkeys fly!”
– “I’ll buy that dress when donkeys fly.”
Other Ways to Say: Not going to happen / Impossible

8. Like trying to find a needle in a haystack

Meaning: Refers to something that is so unlikely or difficult that it’s practically impossible
In a Sentence:
– “Trying to get him to agree to that proposal is like trying to find a needle in a haystack.”
– “It’s like trying to find a needle in a haystack to get a refund from that company.”
Other Ways to Say: Nearly impossible / Unlikely

9. When pigs wear lipstick

Meaning: An expression used to describe something that will never happen, similar to “when pigs fly”
In a Sentence:
– “I’ll go on that trip when pigs wear lipstick.”
– “He’ll apologize when pigs wear lipstick.”
Other Ways to Say: Not going to happen / Not in a million years

10. When you pry the last piece of chocolate from my cold, dead hands

Meaning: An exaggerated way of saying you will never give up or change your mind about something
In a Sentence:
– “You’ll get me to stop working when you pry the last piece of chocolate from my cold, dead hands.”
– “She’ll stop talking when you pry the last piece of chocolate from her cold, dead hands.”
Other Ways to Say: Never happening / Over my dead body

11. A snowball’s chance in hell

Meaning: A very small, almost impossible chance of something happening
In a Sentence:
– “He has a snowball’s chance in hell of winning that competition with the current odds.”
– “You think we’ll get there on time with this traffic? We have a snowball’s chance in hell.”
Other Ways to Say: No chance / Impossible

12. Not a snowball’s chance in hell

Meaning: Same as “a snowball’s chance in hell,” meaning no possibility or hope for success
In a Sentence:
– “There’s not a snowball’s chance in hell they’ll agree to that proposal.”
– “He has not a snowball’s chance in hell of finishing this project on time.”
Other Ways to Say: No way / Zero chance

13. As likely as finding a unicorn

Meaning: Something that is extremely rare or impossible to find or happen
In a Sentence:
– “You think they’ll lower the prices? That’s as likely as finding a unicorn.”
– “He’ll change his ways? That’s as likely as finding a unicorn.”
Other Ways to Say: Highly unlikely / Practically impossible

14. Chasing rainbows

Meaning: To pursue something unrealistic or unattainable
In a Sentence:
– “Thinking we’ll ever get a refund from that company is like chasing rainbows.”
– “She’s chasing rainbows if she thinks she’ll get that promotion without working for it.”
Other Ways to Say: Pursuing an illusion / A hopeless endeavor

15. A pipe dream

Meaning: An idea or plan that is unrealistic or impossible to achieve
In a Sentence:
– “Becoming a billionaire overnight is just a pipe dream.”
– “His idea of traveling the world without a plan is nothing but a pipe dream.”
Other Ways to Say: Fantasy / Unrealistic goal

16. When the stars align

Meaning: To express a highly improbable or rare event occurring, often suggesting that it’s unlikely to happen
In a Sentence:
– “He’ll get that promotion when the stars align and the right opportunity comes.”
– “You might win the lottery when the stars align, but it’s unlikely.”
Other Ways to Say: In an ideal world / Against all odds

17. Like finding a needle in a haystack

Meaning: To describe something that is nearly impossible or very difficult to do
In a Sentence:
– “Trying to fix that old car is like finding a needle in a haystack.”
– “You’ll never find that document; it’s like finding a needle in a haystack.”
Other Ways to Say: Nearly impossible / Extremely difficult

18. A dog’s chance in hell

Meaning: To have no chance at all, often used to describe an unlikely event
In a Sentence:
– “He has a dog’s chance in hell of winning the election with so many strong competitors.”
– “We don’t have a dog’s chance in hell of finishing the project by Friday.”
Other Ways to Say: No chance / Zero probability

19. In a parallel universe

Meaning: To suggest that something would happen only in a completely different or impossible reality
In a Sentence:
– “You think she’ll apologize? Maybe in a parallel universe.”
– “Winning this competition would only happen in a parallel universe, not in real life.”
Other Ways to Say: In another reality / Not going to happen

20. Waiting for the other shoe to drop

Meaning: Waiting for an inevitable but negative event, or expecting something bad to happen
In a Sentence:
– “I’ve been waiting for the other shoe to drop ever since they started talking about layoffs.”
– “He’s been delaying his decision, but I’m just waiting for the other shoe to drop.”
Other Ways to Say: Expecting trouble / Anticipating the worst

21. A fool’s errand

Meaning: A task or pursuit that is pointless or impossible to accomplish
In a Sentence:
– “Trying to fix that broken computer is a fool’s errand; it’s beyond repair.”
– “Searching for that lost item is a fool’s errand, it’s probably gone forever.”
Other Ways to Say: Pointless task / Hopeless endeavor

22. Chasing shadows

Meaning: To pursue something that is unattainable or illusory
In a Sentence:
– “Trying to change his mind is like chasing shadows.”
– “That’s just chasing shadows if you think you’ll ever get a perfect outcome.”
Other Ways to Say: Pursuing an illusion / A futile effort

23. On a wild goose chase

Meaning: A fruitless or hopeless search for something that is unattainable
In a Sentence:
– “Trying to get him to stick to a plan is like being on a wild goose chase.”
– “We were sent on a wild goose chase, looking for a document that didn’t even exist.”
Other Ways to Say: Futile search / Pursuing the impossible

24. Throw in the towel

Meaning: To give up, admit defeat, or acknowledge that something is no longer possible
In a Sentence:
– “After hours of trying to fix it, I had to throw in the towel.”
– “It’s time to throw in the towel and admit that this idea isn’t going to work.”
Other Ways to Say: Give up / Surrender

25. A dead end

Meaning: A situation that leads to no solution or progress, something that is impossible to move forward from
In a Sentence:
– “That plan turned out to be a dead end; there’s no way to make it work.”
– “Their investigation went down a dead end, with no new leads.”
Other Ways to Say: No way forward / A blocked path

26. Beyond the realms of possibility

Meaning: Something that is so unlikely that it is almost impossible
In a Sentence:
– “Becoming famous overnight is beyond the realms of possibility for most people.”
– “Her idea of becoming a millionaire by next year is beyond the realms of possibility.”
Other Ways to Say: Impossible / Highly improbable

27. Like trying to put toothpaste back in the tube

Meaning: To attempt something that is irreversible or impossible to undo
In a Sentence:
– “Trying to fix that mistake now is like trying to put toothpaste back in the tube.”
– “Once the news was out, trying to take it back was like trying to put toothpaste back in the tube.”
Other Ways to Say: Irreversible / Beyond repair

28. Be like trying to fit a square peg in a round hole

Meaning: To try to make something work when it’s fundamentally incompatible or impossible
In a Sentence:
– “Trying to get him to follow those strict rules is like trying to fit a square peg in a round hole.”
– “That plan is like trying to fit a square peg in a round hole; it just doesn’t work.”
Other Ways to Say: Incompatible / Unworkable

29. Not a cat’s chance in hell

Meaning: To have no chance at all of something happening, often used to express extreme improbability
In a Sentence:
– “He doesn’t have a cat’s chance in hell of winning that competition.”
– “She has not a cat’s chance in hell of getting that promotion without the right experience.”
Other Ways to Say: No chance at all / Impossible

30. A pipe dream

Meaning: A plan or hope that is unrealistic or impossible to achieve
In a Sentence:
– “Becoming a rock star overnight is just a pipe dream.”
– “Building a successful business without any capital is a pipe dream.”
Other Ways to Say: Unrealistic goal / Fantasy

31. Not in the cards

Meaning: Something that is unlikely to happen, as if fate or circumstances have determined it won’t
In a Sentence:
– “A vacation this year is not in the cards with all the work we have.”
– “Winning that lottery ticket is not in the cards for me.”
Other Ways to Say: Not meant to be / Not destined to happen

Practice Exercise

Fill in the blanks using the correct idiom from the list:

1. I’ll believe that plan works __________—it’s just too unrealistic.
2. He’ll agree to that proposal __________; it’s never going to happen.
3. We’ll get that task done __________; it’s just too much work.
4. I’ll get a raise __________; I haven’t been here long enough.
5. You’ll see a change in him __________; he’s set in his ways.
6. That company will start being profitable __________; their current model is unsustainable.
7. Trying to fix that old machine is __________; it’s completely broken.
8. She’ll finish the project __________; she keeps procrastinating.
9. He’ll ever change his attitude __________; he’s too stubborn.
10. I’ll believe the economy will improve __________, after years of decline.
11. You’ll get an apology from her __________; she doesn’t admit when she’s wrong.
12. It’s like __________ to ask him for help; he’s unreliable.
13. We’ll reach that goal __________, given the circumstances.
14. Don’t hold your breath; the team will win __________.
15. I’ll stop working on the project __________; I’m determined to see it through.
16. The chances of getting that deal are __________; the competitor has a better offer.
17. That kind of change is __________, no matter how much we want it.
18. She’s still waiting for a response __________; it’s been weeks.
19. If you think we’ll be on time, that’s __________—the traffic is terrible.
20. Asking him to apologize is __________; he never admits fault.
21. It’s __________ that the team will ever agree on this issue.
22. He’ll ever get the promotion __________; he’s been passed over twice.
23. Thinking I’ll work this weekend is __________; I need some rest.
24. They’ll fix that issue __________; they never prioritize it.
25. Getting that project done today is __________—it’s too complex.
26. They’ll ever change their mind __________; they’re firm in their decision.
27. If you think I’ll stop doing this, that’s __________—I’m committed to it.

Answer Key

1. When pigs fly
2. Not in a million years
3. Like trying to fit a square peg in a round hole
4. When hell freezes over
5. Not in a million years
6. When pigs wear lipstick
7. A fool’s errand
8. Like chasing shadows
9. When pigs fly
10. A snowball’s chance in hell
11. Not a cat’s chance in hell
12. Like finding a needle in a haystack
13. A pipe dream
14. When donkeys fly
15. When the cows come home
16. A dog’s chance in hell
17. A dead end
18. Waiting for the other shoe to drop
19. Like a snowball’s chance in hell
20. Like pulling teeth
21. Like trying to put toothpaste back in the tube
22. Not in the cards
23. A pipe dream
24. Chasing rainbows
25. Like a wild goose chase
26. Out of sight, out of mind
27. Like chasing a unicorn

Conclusion

The concept of something “never going to happen” is common in our daily lives, and expressing this idea through idioms can make communication more colorful and expressive. From the “snowball’s chance in hell” to the “wild goose chase”, these 31 idioms help convey situations that are highly improbable, unlikely, or impossible.

By learning and using these idioms, you can easily and humorously express the unlikeliness of events or outcomes, whether you’re talking about personal experiences, goals, or everyday challenges. These idioms enrich your vocabulary and allow you to engage with others in a more lively and relatable way.