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

Negotiations on both fell apart earlier this month but could still be revived in the lame duck session. — David Sivak, The Washington Examiner, 30 Sep. 2026

Congress is out of session until the midterms, but there’s optimism this could get passed in the lame duck period and could even be dated to take effect as early as January 1, 2027. — Brian Welk, IndieWire, 24 Sep. 2026

The hope now is to attempt to pass legislation during the lame duck session at the end of the year, perhaps by attaching it to a major funding bill, Schiff said in a call with reporters Thursday. — Ted Johnson, Deadline, 24 Sep. 2026

Fraud bills generate significant savings, which could be important if lawmakers attempt to pass health care measures during lame duck. — John Wilkerson, STAT, 15 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1761, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for lame duck

• thunderstruck
• amok
• amuck
• awestruck
• dumbstruck
• potluck
• roebuck
• unstuck
• woodchuck
• chuck
• cluck
• huck

Kids Definition

lame duck

noun

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