Meaning
To perform numerous difficult, inconvenient or seemingly pointless tasks demanded by someone else in order to obtain something. The idiom often conveys frustration with excessive requirements, bureaucracy or an authority that keeps setting obstacles.
Origin
The image evokes a performer or trained animal made to jump through hoops as part of a show. The hoops are obstacles set by someone else, not challenges chosen freely. In English, the expression moved from literal performances and training to the figurative idea of obeying a series of demanding conditions. The image makes the speaker sound like someone forced to perform tricks for an authority. Modern uses are especially common in descriptions of bureaucratic procedures, recruitment, approvals and customer service. The precise moment when the figurative sense became established is difficult to pinpoint without historical corpus evidence.
Examples
I had to jump through hoops just to get a refund.
They made us jump through hoops before approving the permit.
She is tired of jumping through hoops for her boss.
Frequently asked questions
What does 'Jump through hoops' mean?
To perform numerous difficult, inconvenient or seemingly pointless tasks demanded by someone else in order to obtain something. The idiom often conveys frustration with excessive requirements, bureaucracy or an authority that keeps setting obstacles.