left in the lurch

adjective

Stranded in a difficult and helpless position.

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Meanings

adjectiveleft in the lurch (not comparable)
  1. not comparableStranded in a difficult and helpless position.

Origin

From the Middle French board game of lourche (“lurch”). Players suffered a lurch if they were left in a hopeless position which rendered victory impossible.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

left in the lurch. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/left%20in%20the%20lurch

MLA

“left in the lurch.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/left%20in%20the%20lurch. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “left in the lurch,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/left%20in%20the%20lurch.

Source: left in the lurch on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.