# failure to launch

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/failure-to-launch
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

A young adult's inability to leave home and begin a self-supported life.

## Examples

- He still lives with his parents, a classic case of failure to launch.
- The parents worried that their son's lack of ambition was a failure to launch, as he refused to look for work.
- Despite his academic potential, he remained trapped in a cycle of failure to launch, unable to sever his dependence on his family and forge an independent path.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.