nonstarter

noun
UK: /ˌnɒnˈstɑːtər/
US: /ˌnɑːnˈstɑːrtər/

  1. A plan or idea that is not likely to be successful.

    1. That idea is a complete nonstarter.
    2. The proposal was a nonstarter from the very beginning, given the lack of funding.

  2. A person or thing that has no chance of succeeding.

    1. He's a nonstarter in this competition.
    2. With his bad attitude, he was a complete nonstarter for the management position.

Synonyms

failure dead duck loser

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "nonstarter" in English means: A plan or idea that is not likely to be successful., A person or thing that has no chance of succeeding..

The phonetic transcription of "nonstarter" is /ˌnɒnˈstɑːtər/ in British English and /ˌnɑːnˈstɑːrtər/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "nonstarter": failure, dead duck, loser.

Example usage of "nonstarter": "That idea is a complete nonstarter.". More examples on the page.