Question

‘To flog a dead horse’ means:
A)To make something less effective
B)To be accepted satisfactorily
C)Waste one’s energies on a lost cause
D)To prejudice another person

Answer 1

Hint: A horse is flogged to make a horse run faster. Flogging a dead horse yields no results of any sort.

Complete step-by-step answer:

We infer from the hint given to us that flogging a dead horse is futile and ineffective. Hence it is also a waste of energy and effort on something that is already gone. Thus, to know the exact meaning of the phrase given to us in the question, we must be able to match the meaning of it with what we have inferred from the hint.
Something that is futile cannot be made less or more effective. Hence, option A is an incorrect answer.
To be accepted satisfactorily doesn't fit the context of our inference. Hence, option B is an incorrect answer.
To waste one’s energies on a lost cause matches with our inference of the phrase. Here, the lost cause represents the dead horse and flogging the dead horse is a waste of energy. Thus, we can say that option C is possibly a correct answer.
To practice, another person doesn't fit the context of our inference. Hence, option D is an incorrect answer.
After observing all the options and the possible meanings, we conclude that option C is the correct answer.

Note: The phrase given to us in the question has a figurative meaning and not a literal meaning. It is required that we are able to understand figurative speech to be able to understand the meaning of such phrases