dead duck

noun
UK: /ˌded ˈdʌk/
US: /ˌded ˈdʌk/

  1. A plan or idea that is certain to fail.

    1. His proposal is a dead duck if he doesn't get support soon.
    2. Without funding, the project is a dead duck, and we'll have to abandon it because no one believes in it.

Synonyms

goner failure
dead duck idiom

  1. To be in serious trouble or to be certain to fail.

    1. If I don't finish this report, I'm a dead duck.
    2. The company is a dead duck if they don't innovate to compete with the new tech.

Frequently Asked Questions

The phonetic transcription of "dead duck" is /ˌded ˈdʌk/ in British English and /ˌded ˈdʌk/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "dead duck": goner, failure.

Example usage of "dead duck": "His proposal is a dead duck if he doesn't get support soon.". More examples on the page.