problem childnoun [ C, plural , problem children ]
ukusFINANCE a product or part of a company that is losing money:
Yesterday the company coolly dumped its US problem child into Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
MARKETING a product that needs a lot of investment in order to become competitive in a market that is growing quickly:
The company agreed to continue investing in selected problem children to try and build them into the stars of the future.
Compare
cash cow
dog
star