unworkable assignment

[/ʌnˈwɜːrkəbəl əˈsaɪnmənt/]
noun phrasepl: unworkable assignments
tarefa impossível de realizar / atribuição impraticável
1. A task, job, or responsibility that cannot be completed or accomplished due to impractical conditions, insufficient resources, unclear instructions, or inherent impossibility
The manager gave the team an unworkable assignment with an impossible deadline and no budget.
O gerente deu à equipe uma tarefa impossível de realizar com um prazo irrealista e sem orçamento.
2. Work that is assigned but deemed impractical or infeasible from the outset
Completing the project in one day was an unworkable assignment for such a small team.
Completar o projeto em um dia era uma atribuição impraticável para uma equipe tão pequena.
In Brazilian workplace culture, acknowledging an 'unworkable assignment' (tarefa impossível) can be seen as either professional honesty or as making excuses, depending on context. In American corporate environments, this term is often used to diplomatically push back against unrealistic expectations. The concept reflects tensions between management expectations and practical limitations in both cultures.
NYC Slang
impossible gig / no-win job
Synonyms / Sinônimos
impossible taskimpractical assignmentunfeasible taskunrealistic assignmentno-win situation
Antonyms / Antônimos
manageable assignmentfeasible taskpractical assignmentachievable goal

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
tarefa impossível / atribuição impraticável
Most common usage in professional and academic contexts
Rio de Janeiro
missão impossível / tramela
Colloquial usage, sometimes with humorous connotation
São Paulo
demanda inviável / trabalho impraticável
More formal, corporate usage common in business environments
Portugal
tarefa impraticável / atribuição irrealizável
Standard Portuguese usage, more formal tone

Related Words

workloaddeadlinetask delegationproject managementresource allocationfeasibility study

Related Idioms & Phrases

set someone up for failure
mission impossible
asking for the moon
beating a dead horse
Look up more words on Fala2Me
The free English-Portuguese dictionary with real Brazilian accents, NYC slang, conjugator and more
Open Fala2Me →