Definition, Meaning & Synonyms

lame-duck

noun

/leɪm dʌk/

Definition

A lame-duck is an official or politician who is in the final period of their term of office and whose power or effectiveness is diminished, especially because they are nearing the end of their tenure and are not likely to be re-elected.

Examples

After the election results were announced, the outgoing president was considered a lame-duck leader, unable to enact significant changes.
Congress often behaves differently when dealing with a lame-duck administration.

Meaning

The term often applies to elected officials who have little consequence in their final days in office, either because they have lost an election or decided not to run again.