lame duck

noun

1

: one that is weak or that falls behind in ability or achievement

especially, chiefly British : an ailing company

2

: an elected official or group continuing to hold political office during the period between the election and the inauguration of a successor

3

: one whose position or term of office will soon end

lame-duck

ˈlām-ˈdək 

adjective

Examples of lame duck in a Sentence

The President was a lame duck during the end of his second term.

Recent Examples on the Web

Parliament Election: South Koreans delivered a stinging defeat to President Yoon Suk Yeol and his party, giving the opposition one of its biggest electoral victories in recent decades and pushing Yoon to the verge of being a lame duck. —Jin Yu Young, New York Times, 12 May 2024

But a lame duck generally is seen as someone who is just keeping the seat warm, someone with less influence. —Kaitlyn Schallhorn, Orange County Register, 17 Apr. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1761, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

lame duck

noun

: an elected official continuing to hold office until a successor takes office