DO-NOTHING Synonyms: 76 Similar and Opposite Words

do-nothing

noun

ˈdü-ˌnə-thiŋ

Definition of do-nothing

as in slug

a lazy person the new boss quickly figured out who the do-nothings were and fired them

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of do-nothing Is Jack a do-nothing philanderer while Shyanne desperately tries to preserve their five-year romance, or is the truth more complicated than that? — Todd Gilchrist, IndieWire, 7 May 2026 The commission made the right call to delay implementation of Gavin’s do-nothing laws. — Linh Tat, Oc Register, 6 May 2026 Finally, upgrade your couch-rot-and-do-nothing sessions with the TCL 75-inch Class Q6 smart TV, and save 22%. — Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 5 May 2026 That makes a strong case for the do-nothing vacation, then, which, in the words of The Washington Post, aligns with wellness rather than laziness. — Alex Ledsom, Forbes.com, 24 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for do-nothing

Recent Examples of Synonyms for do-nothing

Noun

Their hearts and parapodia (appendages for swimming and crawling) regenerate, and in 17 days the slugs are good as new.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 10 July 2026
The effect has been especially damaging on corals, oysters, and free-swimming snails and slugs.

— Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 9 July 2026

Definition of slug

Noun

The Coliseum stayed in business for 500 years, bums in seats twice a week, watching people hack each other to death.

— David Frum, The Atlantic, 8 July 2026
Sometimes there is a fine line between being a hero or a bum, but Dave has been able to negotiate that line, because players trust him, and the players know that Dave cares about them and their families.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 4 July 2026

Definition of bum

Noun

Gobert was chief among the beggars imploring his teammates for a shred of consistency on that end of the floor.

— Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 27 Apr. 2026
So disguised as a beggar, Odysseus shows up at his palace, and he is not treated very nicely by the suitors who have camped out in his house.

— Nina Metz, Chicago Tribune, 9 Mar. 2026

Definition of beggar

Noun

Per usual with movies like this, spelling out the terror (the roots are in hobo codes and religious legend) becomes, regrettably, a shock absorber, not a facilitator.

— Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 22 May 2026
Schneider plays David, a reticent young man with the soulful-hobo air of a Beat poet, who makes a living as an events photographer but whose private passion is a secretive lifelong project, inherited from his father, documenting the changing Parisian suburbs.

— Jessica Kiang, Variety, 18 May 2026

Definition of hobo

Noun

To track down her mother, Lila teams up with her deadbeat father for a journey that includes grudge-settling, Russian criminals, and corrupt politicians.

— Diya Chacko, Oc Register, 18 May 2026
Based on a script by Justin Varava that made the 2024 Black List, Turpentine follows a deadbeat son who hires friends to rob his own parents to pay off a bookie, with disastrous results.

— Matt Grobar, Deadline, 15 May 2026

Definition of deadbeat

Browse Nearby Words

donors

do-nothing

do-nothings

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Style

“Do-nothing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/do-nothing. Accessed 14 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of do-nothing

noun

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