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
-
Giants third base coach Hector Borg waved Lee home, trying to take advantage of the wet conditions and a lazy throw back to the infield, but the Dodgers nabbed Lee with feet to spare.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
24 Apr. 2026
-
That film felt rushed, inconsistent, and lazy.—
Ian Miller OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Actress Jodie Foster was just photographed toting the perfect hands-free carryall—sort of like a hybrid, crossbody-bag-meets-bum-bag.—
Reece Andavolgyi,
InStyle,
12 Apr. 2026
-
Coach told us to be first one to the ball and to make those 50/50 plays, to do it on a bum ankle but still being able to give it my all and leave everything there for my teammates.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
5 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
This does nothing to help onboard new VGC players, who are now more likely to pick a worthless item that puts them at a disadvantage.—
Kallie Plagge,
The Verge,
11 Apr. 2026
-
Remove those incentives and innovation will slow – while farmers’ already substantial investments become worthless.—
John Cleveland,
Boston Herald,
7 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Antinous later shocked the other suitors by insulting and assaulting with a footstool an elderly beggar who had spoken to him in the palace hall.—
Gitanjali Roy,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
9 Mar. 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
Adjective
-
This is going to be a horrible, terrible, no-good, very bad day.—
Nathan Rott,
NPR,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Archie has a no-good, very-bad day, and Dylan goes to bat for her students.—
Erin Qualey,
Vulture,
16 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Flying into Singapore over the weekend gave me a front row seat to the literal sea of cargo ships sitting idle in the Port of Singapore.—
Leonie Kidd,
CNBC,
20 Apr. 2026
-
There’s also The Italian Restaurant located within the 6,100-square-foot entertainment complex that serves classic Italian comfort dishes (during idle times while dining, kids can feel free to jaunt toward the arcade for a round of air hockey before the plate of rigatoni is served).—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
17 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
In fact, that hobo-style bag (which Kennedy was often photographed using to shield herself from paparazzi) ushered in a new era of softer and much more versatile handbags for women everywhere.—
Anna Cafolla,
Vogue,
27 Mar. 2026
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On March 19, the 53-year-old actor was spotted filming a new project in New York City wearing a pair of cream suede ankle booties with a bit of a relaxed scrunch that went perfectly with the vibe of her cozy flannel button-down, oversized robe cardigan, and slouchy hobo bag.—
Emily Tannenbaum,
Glamour,
21 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Good-for-nothing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/good-for-nothing. Accessed 26 Apr. 2026.
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