Phrase guide

needle in a haystack

noun · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

noun

Meaning 1

Something that is difficult or impossible to locate.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: idiomatic

Examples

  • You'll never find the paper you need on her desk. You're looking for a needle in a haystack.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

33 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: إِبْرَةٌ فِي كَوْمَةِ قَشٍّ (ʔibratun fī kawmati qaššin) — idiomatic
  • Catalan: cercar una agulla en un paller — idiomatic
  • Catalan: buscar una agulla en un paller — idiomatic
  • Catalan: agulla en un paller — idiomatic
  • Chinese Mandarin: 大海撈針 /大海捞针 (dàhǎilāozhēn) — idiomatic
  • Chinese Mandarin: 海底撈針 /海底捞针 (hǎidǐlāozhēn) — idiomatic
  • Czech: jehla v kupce sena — idiomatic
  • Dutch: naald in een hooiberg — idiomatic
  • Finnish: neula heinäsuovassa — idiomatic
  • French: chercher une aiguille dans une botte de foin — idiomatic
  • German: Nadel im Heuhaufen — idiomatic
  • Greek: βελόνα στ’ άχυρο (velóna st’ áchyro) — idiomatic
  • Greek: ψύλλους στ’ άχυρο (psýllous st’ áchyro) — idiomatic
  • Hebrew: מַחַט בַּעֲרֵמָת שַׁחַת (máẖat ba'aremát sháẖat) — idiomatic
  • Hungarian: tű a szénakazalban — idiomatic
  • Icelandic: saumnál í heystakki — idiomatic
  • Irish: táilliúir i mbruth faoi thír — idiomatic
  • Italian: ago in un pagliaio — idiomatic
  • Japanese: 干し草の山の針 (hoshikusa-no yama-no hari) — idiomatic
  • Latin: nodum in scirpo quaerere — idiomatic
  • Macedonian: и́гла во стог се́но (ígla vo stog séno) — idiomatic
  • Polish: igła w stogu siana — idiomatic
  • Portuguese: agulha num palheiro — idiomatic
  • Romanian: acul în carul cu fân — idiomatic
  • Russian: иго́лка в сто́ге се́на (igólka v stóge séna) — idiomatic
  • Russian: иска́ть иго́лку в сто́ге се́на (iskátʹ igólku v stóge séna) — idiomatic
  • Serbo-Croatian: ѝгла у пла̑сту сије̑на — idiomatic
  • Serbo-Croatian: ѝгла у пла̑сту се̑на — idiomatic
  • Serbo-Croatian: ìgla u plȃstu sijȇna — idiomatic
  • Serbo-Croatian: ìgla u plȃstu sȇna — idiomatic
  • Spanish: aguja en un pajar — idiomatic
  • Swedish: nål i en höstack — idiomatic
  • Turkish: samanlıkta iğne — idiomatic