Question

Choose the alternative which best expresses the meaning of the idiom/phrase: To flog a dead horse.

• A. To whip a dead horse
• B. Attempt to do the possible
• C. Waste one's efforts
• D. To take advantage of a weakness

Hint:

Idioms usually have figurative meanings. Do not choose the literal meaning unless the question asks for it.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

The idiom to flog a dead horse means to continue doing something useless. If a horse is already dead, beating or flogging it will produce no result. So the idiom is used when someone keeps trying to do something even though no useful outcome is possible. It means wasting time, energy, or effort on a matter that is already finished or hopeless. Option (A) gives the literal meaning, but idioms should not be understood literally. Option (B) is incorrect because the idiom refers to an impossible or useless effort, not a possible task. Option (D) gives a different meaning. Therefore, the correct meaning is: \[ \text{Waste one's efforts}. \]