1
as in slug
a lazy person
the new boss quickly figured out who the do-nothings were and fired them
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in bum
an idle worthless person
he indiscriminately dismisses the state legislators as a bunch of do-nothings who live at the taxpayers' expense
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of do-nothing
Former ComEd consultant Jay Doherty was sentenced today to one year in prison for his role in an elaborate scheme to funnel money to do-nothing subcontractors with ties to then-House Speaker Michael Madigan in exchange for Madigan’s influence on legislation in Springfield.
—
Chicago Tribune, 5 Aug. 2025
About a dozen have visited or have plans to make stops in the early primary states, such as Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, 60, who in April caught attention for delivering a searing speech in New Hampshire aimed at 'do-nothing' Democrats.
—Phillip M. Bailey, USA Today, 2 Aug. 2025
That would have a power move for the do-nothing Heat. – Michael.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 30 June 2025
In the political messaging battle, though, whether the assessment of a do-nothing Congress and Speaker is true or not is beside the point.
—Emily Brooks, The Hill, 20 May 2025
Chicago Tribune, 5 Aug. 2025
About a dozen have visited or have plans to make stops in the early primary states, such as Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, 60, who in April caught attention for delivering a searing speech in New Hampshire aimed at 'do-nothing' Democrats.
—Phillip M. Bailey, USA Today, 2 Aug. 2025
That would have a power move for the do-nothing Heat. – Michael.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 30 June 2025
In the political messaging battle, though, whether the assessment of a do-nothing Congress and Speaker is true or not is beside the point.
—Emily Brooks, The Hill, 20 May 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for do-nothing
Noun
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Place a piece of 6 x 6-inch piece of cardboard or thin plywood on the garden surface to attract slugs, then check under it every morning.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
28 Aug. 2025
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Except this time Boyd witnessed Chapman slug the fastball 400 feet to left-center field for a two-run home run.—
Meghan Montemurro,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Celebratory backslaps, encouraging bum-pats and the fall of opposition wickets celebrated en masse are often an indication of a team’s togetherness.—
James Wallace,
New York Times,
5 Sep. 2025
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With both travel and programming budgets under pressure, all markets have to make a strong case to get buyer and seller bums on seats (or, more accurately, into screening booths and meeting rooms).—
Stewart Clarke,
Deadline,
28 Aug. 2025
Noun
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So far in September, Russian forces conducted two major airstrikes of 500 airborne weapons, with 2,147 drones dispatched in total.—
Katya Soldak,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
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Russia's Defense Ministry said its forces shot down at least 31 Ukrainian drones overnight, including 15 over the Black Sea, two over Crimea and two over Krasnodar Krai, the Black Sea region in which Sochi is located.—
David Brennan,
ABC News,
9 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The bayous have become a popular breeding ground for intimidating apple snails from South America, which can reach 6 inches in width.—
Mark Price,
Miami Herald,
10 Sep. 2025
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The snail is two years old and the millipede is only a few months old.—
Patricia Marx,
New Yorker,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
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In a 10-minute-long Instagram video, the real estate developer rants about how the show portrayed him in a negative light, first accusing him of having financial problems, then painting him as a deadbeat stepdad.—
Madeleine Marr,
Miami Herald,
25 Aug. 2025
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Madsen starred in the two-parter's second entry as Budd, now a deadbeat bouncer living in a trailer.—
Randall Colburn,
EW.com,
3 July 2025
Noun
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Got a lot of mountains to climb, had to leave some beggars behind.—
Ilana Kaplan,
PEOPLE,
5 Sep. 2025
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Indeed, the beauty of New Orleans proper was found in its colorful variety of humans—the loons and cons, the beggars and peddlers.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
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From oversized, slouchy hobos to structured East-West silhouettes and laptop-ready work totes, this season’s best suede bags deliver a luxurious polish that will elevate every fall wardrobe.—
Lauren Alexis Fisher,
Footwear News,
3 Sep. 2025
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On May 3, she was seen toting around the brand's slouchy black hobo bag with gunmetal hardware before switching to one of their smaller shoulder bags for a concert later that night.—
Emily Tannenbaum,
Glamour,
30 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Do-nothing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/do-nothing. Accessed 14 Sep. 2025.
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