English Idioms
Comprehensive resource for understanding and mastering English idioms
A needle in a haystack
Meaning
The idiom "a needle in a haystack" refers to something that is very difficult to find, especially when surrounded by many similar things. It's like looking for a small needle in a large pile of haystacks.
Usage
- I spent hours searching for my keys, they were like a needle in a haystack!
- The police had a hard time finding the suspect in the crowded city streets. He was like a needle in a haystack.
- After weeks of searching for the missing hiker, they finally found him, hidden like a needle in a haystack.
- The bookstore had thousands of books, making it difficult to find the one I wanted. It was like looking for a needle in a haystack.
- With so many options online, finding the best recipe for homemade pasta sauce can feel like searching for a needle in a haystack.
Roots and History
The origin of the idiom "a needle in a haystack" dates back to the Middle Ages when farmers would stack large bales of hay in their fields. The needles from the straw used to tie the bales together would fall out and get lost in the stacks. To find them, farmers would have to search through the bales one by one, just like looking for a needle in a haystack. The phrase has been used in literature since at least the 17th century. For example, in John Dryden's poem "Absalom and Achitophel" (1685), he wrote, "A king that sits in a high place is like a nail in a piece of wood; but he that runs them through it is like a needle in a haystack." Over time, the idiom has become more generalized to refer to any situation where finding something is difficult.
Synonyms in English
- A speck of dust in an ocean
- A grain of sand on a beach
- A pebble in a field
- A cherry pit in a bag
- A flea on an elephant
Synonyms in other languages
- Spanish: "Un grano de arena en el mar"
- French: "Un grain de sable dans l'océan"
- German: "Ein Sandkorn im Meer"
- Italian: "Una granella di sale sulla spiaggia"
- Chinese: "一粒沙子在海中"