nonstarter

[ non-stahr-ter ]
See synonyms for nonstarter on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. an issue, plan, etc., that does not get or deserve to get under way.

Origin of nonstarter

1
First recorded in 1905–10

Words Nearby nonstarter

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use nonstarter in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for nonstarter

nonstarter

/ (nɒnˈstɑːtə) /


noun
  1. a horse that fails to run in a race for which it has been entered

  2. a person or thing that is useless, has little chance of success, etc

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012