1
: loafer
2
: one who persistently fails to pay personal debts or expenses
: having a pointer that gives a reading with little or no oscillation
Synonyms
Examples of deadbeat in a Sentence
Noun
His friends are just a bunch of deadbeats.
He was accused of being a deadbeat.
Recent Examples on the Web
Time, 11 Aug. 2023
That hasn’t yet happened to the world’s most notorious deadbeat.
—Mary Anastasia O’Grady, WSJ, 6 Aug. 2023
The one-of-a-kind table clock offers the display of three time zones on three trapezoidal dials and a deadbeat seconds mechanism marking home time.
—Cait Bazemore, Robb Report, 20 July 2023
Proponents said the law will rein in sky-high drug prices and corporate tax deadbeats.
—Jon Chesto, BostonGlobe.com, 11 June 2023
And so the conversations that are ongoing right now really very much focused on the budget, which is the future of the fiscal commitments that the U.S. can make, but in terms of the responsibility to pay our bills, America isn't a deadbeat nation.
—CBS News, 14 May 2023
Periodic bouts of political dysfunction — putting the United States in danger of becoming a global deadbeat, despite its many economic advantages — aren’t helping the U.S. economy.
—Jeff Sommer, New York Times, 26 May 2023
The comic actor and the border terrier teamed up to portray Reggie, a dog who is abandoned by his deadbeat owner (Will Forte).
—Brent Lang, Variety, 26 Apr. 2023
To put in the capital — in colloquial terms, America is not a deadbeat nation.
—Jim Tankersley, New York Times, 2 May 2023
Armond White, National Review, 8 Feb. 2023
One week, the spotlight is on Woon-A-Tai as Bear, whose search for a positive male role model leads him to comic interactions with an amiably uninspiring spirit guide or to sadly pin his hopes on his hilariously deadbeat father.
—Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 25 June 2022
And coming off a deadbeat response to the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020, Manfred should not be looking for any more rakes to step on.
—Anthony Witrado, Forbes, 27 Oct. 2021
Funding for everything, then there’ll be no more deadbeat dads.
—Alixel Cabrera, The Salt Lake Tribune, 7 Oct. 2021
Adding to the complexity was his eagerness to avoid the archetype of a deadbeat Black father.
—Los Angeles Times, 26 Apr. 2021
The pace and tone varies over the show’s short run, but the seemingly deadbeat characters are always charming and three-dimensional.
—Margaret Lyons, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2020
Now, however, after a trip with Duke to their deadbeat dad’s, Frankie’s back, hugging Sam like a little kid.
—Alexandra Schwartz, The New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2020
Flowers gave Brucie, a deadbeat dad, levels of humanity beyond his ne’er-do-well appearance.
—Matthew J. Palm, orlandosentinel.com, 10 Dec. 2019
See More
Noun
Despite being a genius, he was kicked out of college after doing a favor for his deadbeat friend.
—Time, 11 Aug. 2023
That hasn’t yet happened to the world’s most notorious deadbeat.
—Mary Anastasia O’Grady, WSJ, 6 Aug. 2023
The one-of-a-kind table clock offers the display of three time zones on three trapezoidal dials and a deadbeat seconds mechanism marking home time.
—Cait Bazemore, Robb Report, 20 July 2023
Proponents said the law will rein in sky-high drug prices and corporate tax deadbeats.
—Jon Chesto, BostonGlobe.com, 11 June 2023
And so the conversations that are ongoing right now really very much focused on the budget, which is the future of the fiscal commitments that the U.S. can make, but in terms of the responsibility to pay our bills, America isn't a deadbeat nation.
—CBS News, 14 May 2023
Periodic bouts of political dysfunction — putting the United States in danger of becoming a global deadbeat, despite its many economic advantages — aren’t helping the U.S. economy.
—Jeff Sommer, New York Times, 26 May 2023
The comic actor and the border terrier teamed up to portray Reggie, a dog who is abandoned by his deadbeat owner (Will Forte).
—Brent Lang, Variety, 26 Apr. 2023
To put in the capital — in colloquial terms, America is not a deadbeat nation.
—Jim Tankersley, New York Times, 2 May 2023
Adjective
Calamy recently received a César nomination for this splendid portrayal of Julie Roy, a stressed, divorced white woman raising two toddlers despite a distant, deadbeat ex-husband who’s behind on his child-support payments.
—Armond White, National Review, 8 Feb. 2023
One week, the spotlight is on Woon-A-Tai as Bear, whose search for a positive male role model leads him to comic interactions with an amiably uninspiring spirit guide or to sadly pin his hopes on his hilariously deadbeat father.
—Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 25 June 2022
And coming off a deadbeat response to the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020, Manfred should not be looking for any more rakes to step on.
—Anthony Witrado, Forbes, 27 Oct. 2021
Funding for everything, then there’ll be no more deadbeat dads.
—Alixel Cabrera, The Salt Lake Tribune, 7 Oct. 2021
Adding to the complexity was his eagerness to avoid the archetype of a deadbeat Black father.
—Los Angeles Times, 26 Apr. 2021
The pace and tone varies over the show’s short run, but the seemingly deadbeat characters are always charming and three-dimensional.
—Margaret Lyons, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2020
Now, however, after a trip with Duke to their deadbeat dad’s, Frankie’s back, hugging Sam like a little kid.
—Alexandra Schwartz, The New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2020
Flowers gave Brucie, a deadbeat dad, levels of humanity beyond his ne’er-do-well appearance.
—Matthew J. Palm, orlandosentinel.com, 10 Dec. 2019
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'deadbeat.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Phrases Containing deadbeat
Dictionary Entries Near deadbeat
Cite this Entry
“Deadbeat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deadbeat. Accessed 21 Sep. 2023.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
deadbeat
noun
dead·beat
ˈded-ˌbēt
: one who fails to pay his or her debts
More from Merriam-Webster on deadbeat
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share