failson

American  

[fayl-suhn] / ˈfeɪlˌsʌn /

noun

Slang.

1. a man who has been unsuccessful in business or life generally, especially one from a wealthy, powerful family.

   The program appeals to silver-spoon failsons who want to have something constructive to do with their time.

---

Etymology

Origin of failson

First recorded in 2010–15; fail ( def. ) + son ( def. ), possibly on internet forums

---

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

failson

Kang Ae-sim and Yang Dong-geun portray an elderly woman and her failson who enter the tourney to erase his mountainous debt.

From Salon ● Dec. 26, 2024

Connor, the failson and outcast of the Roy family, quickly backtracks, amending the statement to, “I never got to make him proud.”

From Washington Post ● Apr. 12, 2023

"Oh, man. He never even liked me," the dry-eyed failson says upon hearing the news.

From Salon ● Apr. 10, 2023

He’s a failson, a nephew, a hanger-on at the Round Table, coasting on his charm, his good looks and his family connections.

From New York Times ● Jul. 29, 2021

The early episodes drag, and Nathan — Helms’s blue-blood failson Andy Bernard of “The Office” by another name — flips from lightly oddball to cartoonishly unhinged whenever his heritage is questioned.

From New York Times ● May 5, 2021

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---