failchild

Etymology

Compound of fail + child.

Why this word is great

FAILCHILD — [Noun] An incompetent, unsuccessful middle-class or upper-class child of wealthy and influential parents. A compound of 'fail' (to be unsuccessful) and 'child' (offspring), it is the lexical embodiment of squandered potential. Unlike 'prodigal' (which suggests reckless extravagance) or 'heir' (a title conferred by birthright alone), 'failchild' carries the sour tang of mediocrity despite every advantage. It is the trust-fund recipient whose startup collapses within a year, the legacy-admit student who flunks out by spring semester, or the diplomat’s son caught smuggling contraband through customs—proof that privilege cannot purchase competence, only amplify its absence.

noun

  1. An incompetent, unsuccessful middle-class or upper-class child of wealthy and influential parents.“The college admissions cheating scandal revealed the details of a formalized process for jamming the failchildren of wealthy and prominent families into otherwise credible and prestigious universities, using an expensive "side door" for parents whose wealth leaves them a rung or two shy of the opportunity to just fund a new wing on campus.”