lowlife

noun

low·​life ˈlō-ˌlīf How to pronounce lowlife (audio)
plural lowlifes ˈlō-ˌlīfs How to pronounce lowlife (audio) also lowlives ˈlō-ˌlīvz How to pronounce lowlife (audio)
1
: a person of low social status
2
: a person of low moral character
low-life adjective

Examples of lowlife in a Sentence

hanging around with a bunch of lowlifes
Recent Examples on the Web The rampant smut that blighted Times Square and the constellation of lowlifes who orbited around it were tackled in that neighborhood in the mid ’90s. Daniel Foster, National Review, 30 Nov. 2023 What kind of a complete scumbag lowlife piece of garbage does this? Dallas News, 25 May 2022 May whichever fanatical lowlife rises up to take his place be dispatched much more quickly. The Editors, National Review, 1 Aug. 2022 Baker is a convincing lowlife, his supporting cast is outstanding, and the composer Raffertie’s distorted electric guitar score brings an edgy energy. Noel Murray, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2022 His bailiwick is seamy realism, walking the edge of soft-core as lowlife exploiter Larry Clark did with Kids, but never transcending it. Armond White, National Review, 29 Dec. 2021 In such circumstances, the justifiably paranoid mind naturally believes this snippet of film, stolen at random by a lowlife pickpocket, could decide the fate of the planet. Mark Jacobson, Vulture, 11 Dec. 2021 Earnest, who was tied to a device that prevented him from turning to the audience, showed no visible reaction during the two-hour hearing as speakers called him a lowlife coward, an evil animal, and a monster. BostonGlobe.com, 1 Oct. 2021 Earnest, who was tied to a device that prevented him from turning to the audience, showed no visible reaction during the two-hour hearing as speakers called him a lowlife coward, an evil animal and a monster. Elliot Spagat, ajc, 1 Oct. 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lowlife.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1902, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of lowlife was in 1902

Dictionary Entries Near lowlife

Cite this Entry

“Lowlife.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lowlife. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on lowlife

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!