Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

tilt at windmills

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.81 in modern English

Syllables
tilt at wind-mills
IPA
21
Scrabble Score
15
Letters
2
Syllables
9
Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To attack imaginary enemies.

Intransitive verb

verb

To go on a wild-goose chase; to persistently engage in a futile activity.

Intransitive verb

Etymology

From a passage in the novel Don Quixote where the eponymous character tilts (i.e. jousts) at windmills that he has mistaken for giants.

Usage

Inflected Forms

tilts at windmills (present, singular) tilting at windmills (participle, present) tilted at windmills (participle, past) tilted at windmills (past)

Phrases

mistake windmills for giants throw one's cap over the windmill

Frequently Paired Words

mistake windmills for giants throw one's cap over the windmill

Synonyms

charge at windmills fight windmills chase a rainbow

Questions

What does tilt at windmills mean?
To attack imaginary enemies.
Where does tilt at windmills come from?
From a passage in the novel Don Quixote where the eponymous character tilts (i.e. jousts) at windmills that he has mistaken for giants.

How to pronounce tilt at windmills

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “tilt at windmills”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “tilt at windmills”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “tilt at windmills” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.