slacker

noun

slack·​er ˈsla-kər 

1

: a person who shirks work or obligation

especially : one who evades military service in time of war

2

: a person and especially a young person who is perceived to be disaffected, apathetic, cynical, or lacking ambition

slacker adjective

Synonyms

• shirker
• goldbrick
• lingerer

Examples of slacker in a Sentence

The people I work with are a bunch of slackers.

there will be no slackers tolerated in this group—anyone who doesn't do their share will get booted out

Recent Examples on the Web

Armored truck driver Russell (Murphy) is nearing retirement and is on a cash pickup job with young slacker Travis (Davidson) when the latter gets snookered by a criminal (Keke Palmer) into a high-stakes robbery situation. —Brian Truitt, USA Today, 15 Aug. 2025

When a groundbreaking medical procedure promises to turn slackers into overachievers, an aging father sees it as his last chance to achieve the American Dream…through his unemployed adult daughter. —Matt Grobar, Deadline, 12 Aug. 2025

Pan excels at making the reader care about Cueball and Eddy, who start out as naive, harmless slackers. —Oline H. Cogdill, Sun Sentinel, 7 Aug. 2025

But going all day Tuesday and Wednesday is flirting with overkill and asking too much, even of the devout slackers. —Joe Rexrode, New York Times, 10 July 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1898, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for slacker

• acker
• backer
• blacker
• cracker
• hacker
• lacquer
• packer
• stacker
• thacker
• tracker
• attacker
• backpacker

Kids Definition

slacker

noun

slack·​er ˈslak-ər 

: one who avoids work or a duty