Lame Duck Meaning, Examples, Synonyms

The meaning of the idiom lame duck is when some person or thing turns out to be unsuccessful.

Lame-duck is a word used to describe a trader who has a history of defaulting on debt or going bankrupt due to an inability to cope with trading losses. The origins of this term can be traced back to the mid-eighteenth century when the London Stock Exchange was being established.

It is unknown how the term got popular among traders. Prior to the exchange being established in an official venue, traders operating out of coffee shops used the moniker. The word was first reported in bank documents and publications in the 1760s.

Also Read: Idioms Meaning with Example

Usage with Examples

Traders who incurred significant losses in the financial markets withdrew from further trading activity, believing they had had enough. Intriguingly, the terms bull and bear arose about the same period.

The term “lame duck” is also used in politics. The term refers to a politician who has failed to achieve success and has opted not to run in the next election.

Mentioned below are the examples of the idiom lame duck:

• You can’t expect a lame-duck president to get much accomplished.
• As a lame duck, there’s not a lot I can do.
• What else do you expect from a lame-duck PM?

Also Read: Better Late Than Never

Synonyms and Similar Words to Lame Duck

Mentioned below are the synonyms and similar words to lame duck:

• Crumbling power
• Fail
• Fall through
• Flop

Lame Duck Meaning Quiz

 A lame-duck manager can not bring his business back onto the normal track. What do you understand by lame duck here?

• Winner
• Best at his job
• Unsuccessful

Ans. Unsuccessful

Also Read: Idioms for IELTS Exam

This was all about the idiom lame duck meaning and examples. Hope you understood the concept where it’s used. For more such blogs, follow Leverage Edu.