be tilting at windmills

be tilting at windmills

To be wasting time fighting enemies or trying to resolve issues that are imaginary, unimportant, or impossible to overcome. The CEO seems to be tilting at windmills lately, flinging accusations at members of the press for no reason. The company keeps tilting at windmills with its insistence on implementing a service structure that serves no immediate purpose.

See also: tilt, windmill

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2022 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.