Lame duck is a term used to describe an elected leader or official who is no longer able to make significant changes or take effective action in their remaining time in office. Some synonyms for this phrase include powerless, ineffective, impotent, unproductive, and toothless. These words all convey a sense of being unable to achieve anything meaningful, whether due to external circumstances or inherent limitations. Other related terms might include lame-duck session, which refers to the final period of a legislative session in which the majority of members are no longer returning in the next term, or caretaker government, which describes a temporary administration that is not empowered to enact significant policy changes.