as in lazy
having no ambition, success, or value to society
refused to leave anything in his will to his good-for-nothing grandchildren
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in bum
an idle worthless person
teacher after teacher had predicted that he would never be more than a good-for-nothing
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of good-for-nothing
Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 8 May 2024
Yet later this year up to 40 healthy Australian volunteers may begin receiving infusions of the supposedly good-for-nothing molecule.
—Bymitch Leslie, science.org, 8 June 2023
In the film, directed by Taika Waititi, Hela comes back to Asgard seeking revenge and looking to kick everybody's ass, starting with her good-for-nothing brothers Loki (Tom Hiddleston) and Thor (Hemsworth).
—Lester Fabian Brathwaite, EW.com, 16 Mar. 2023
Adjective
The black comedy crime film is written by Niki Sheldrake and tells the story of Colin and Stanley, two good-for-nothing brothers who are faced with the repayment of their dead father’s debt to a notorious loan shark named Maggie.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 8 May 2024
Yet later this year up to 40 healthy Australian volunteers may begin receiving infusions of the supposedly good-for-nothing molecule.
—Bymitch Leslie, science.org, 8 June 2023
In the film, directed by Taika Waititi, Hela comes back to Asgard seeking revenge and looking to kick everybody's ass, starting with her good-for-nothing brothers Loki (Tom Hiddleston) and Thor (Hemsworth).
—Lester Fabian Brathwaite, EW.com, 16 Mar. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for good-for-nothing
Adjective
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This is where lazy Jordan comes in.—
Kailyn Brown,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Esteemed writers fall back on lazy analogies and text like drunk high schoolers.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Trying to warm up your bum from the cold was said to produce heavier periods.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 Mar. 2026
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For ski bums looking to hit the Colorado slopes without slogging through I-70 traffic, there’s no better destination than Winter Park.—
Sarah Cahalan,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The conventional newsgathering institutions have been worthless in getting to the bottom of anything, especially the billion-dollar why question.—
Joe Soucheray,
Twin Cities,
7 Mar. 2026
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Google, ChatGPT, Alexa and every other AI toy are all equally worthless here.—
Mac Engel
March 5,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Hollywood turned him into a beggar.—
Lili Anolik,
Vanity Fair,
12 Jan. 2026
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In the old days beggars were drawn and quartered in that square.—
George Packer,
The Atlantic,
6 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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The ordeal at Keystone gave me an up-close view of the no-good, very bad 2025-26 ski season.—
Frederick Dreier,
Outside,
9 Jan. 2026
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Released in 1958, Attack told of a wealthy heiress, fresh from a stint at a mental institution, who is turned into a giantess and then deals with her philandering husband and his no-good, money-grubbing floozy.—
Borys Kit,
HollywoodReporter,
9 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Reuters reported Monday that traffic into and out of the Gulf was at an almost complete standstill and that hundreds of tankers were sitting idle near Hormuz.—
Dante Motley,
Austin American Statesman,
9 Mar. 2026
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But the Heat did extend its lead over the idle eighth-place Philadelphia 76ers (34-29) to one game.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Head over to Quince to order the designer lookalike hobo bag, or keep scrolling to shop more luxurious handbags from the brand.—
Megan Schaltegger,
InStyle,
21 Feb. 2026
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The hobo bag has been popular with several brands over the past few seasons.—
Kathleen Walsh,
Glamour,
7 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Good-for-nothing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/good-for-nothing. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
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