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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All the pieces seem to fit, producing a symphony of contact and occasional crescendo of slug.—
Ken Rosenthal,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
-
The 170-grain slug socked him right between the horns.—
Bob Cary,
Outdoor Life,
15 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Three or four decades ago, the newspaperman was appealingly raffish—at once a bum who drank too much and a knight-errant who charged unafraid at social injustice, succored the weak, and crossed lances with the powerful and arrogant.—
David Wingrave,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Oct. 2025
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Bill got his second deer, and hurt his bum knee while packing out the animal.—
Marguerite Reiss,
Outdoor Life,
9 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The drone attacks investigated by the commission regularly targeted civilian homes and infrastructure such as hospitals, humanitarian distribution points, power facilities and a school, according to the UN report.—
Catherine Nicholls,
CNN Money,
27 Oct. 2025
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To solve the problem, Burukin and his colleagues have developed tethered drones that rise 500 feet high (150 meters), carrying signal repeaters that amplify the weak radio signals to increase their reach.—
Tereza Pultarova,
Space.com,
27 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Tropical Storm Melissa is meandering through the warm waters of the Caribbean at a snail’s pace, where it’s expected to pick up enough power to develop into a major Category 4 by Tuesday.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
23 Oct. 2025
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But now, conditions are expected to be primed for Tropical Storm Melissa to keep at its snail’s pace.—
Andrew Freedman,
CNN Money,
23 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The world’s biggest deadbeat has passed the begging bowl again.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
13 Oct. 2025
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The final straw was painting him as a deadbeat stepfather to Echevarria’s two sons, Frankie and Peter, which he flat-out denied.—
Madeleine Marr,
Miami Herald,
7 Oct. 2025
Noun
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In Havana, beggars are ubiquitous.—
Jon Lee Anderson,
New Yorker,
29 Sep. 2025
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Brando, the owner of an atoll in Tahiti, where his family dwelled, had become the beggar of Hollywood, who had to feed on crumbs.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Consider Madewell’s roomy hobo bag in dark brown (the perfect laptop bag) or Tory Burch’s crossbody option, as essentials to wear throughout the season; then spring for a new accompaniments—like minimalist-friendly gold earrings, a sleek belt, or classic sunnies in tortoise shell.—
Kristina Rutkowski,
Vogue,
8 Oct. 2025
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The former, in which Burnett and Hamilton did a song-and-dance routine as Dust Bowl-era hobos, marked the first of several times that the two performed together.—
Rachel Syme,
New Yorker,
29 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Do-nothing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/do-nothing. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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