lame duck

[leym duhk] / ˈleɪm ˈdʌk /

NOUN

elected official waiting to leave office

Synonyms

WEAK

crumbling power holdover incumbent loser weak administration weakling

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

He’s also a lame duck and getting lamer.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 24, 2026

Powell became a lame duck almost immediately after President Donald Trump was inaugurated in January 2025.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 19, 2026

Before embracing the lame duck narrative, we should instead be asking two simple questions.

From Salon • Dec. 2, 2025

"I'm not sure he's a lame duck yet," Garret Martin, professor of international relations at American University, told AFP.

From Barron's • Nov. 25, 2025

A lame duck is a man who cannot pay his dififerences, and is said to waddle off.

From Gryll Grange by Peacock, Thomas Love