boil the ocean
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
Undertake an impossible or impractical task.
Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt
Thực hiện một nhiệm vụ không thể hoặc không thực tế
Machine-translated — suggest a fix
Where it’s used:
Used
Business & corporate jargon
Sources & notes
Imported from Wikipedia “List of business terms” (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-29), pending review.
Common questions
What does “boil the ocean” mean?
Undertake an impossible or impractical task.
Is “boil the ocean” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.