Meaning of Idiom ‘Can’t Win For Losing’
When you ‘can’t win for losing’ you can’t find any success because you experience constant and continuous failure; you can’t be successful when everything always goes wrong.
Want to see more videos from Idioms.Online? Subscribe to our YouTube channel!
Usage
This idiom is quite straightforward. When one says “I can’t win for losing,” they mean “I can’t win because I’m losing all the time.” The confusing part of the phrase is the use of the preposition for to mean ‘because of,’ a sense primarily found in idioms such as this one. Do not search for deeper meaning. There is none. It is usually used after a series of setbacks or failures.
Examples Of Use
“I have a mountain of debt, my wife left me, and I’ve been sick for two weeks. Now I’ve been laid off from work. I can’t win for losing!”
“I thought I was perfect for this part but once again, they rejected me. I just can’t win for losing,” said the actor.
“Eric just got back on his feet from a broken leg and now he’s broken his arm! That guy can’t win for losing.”
Origin
This chiefly American idiom has been used since at least the mid-1950s.
