as in slug
a lazy person
she regretted ever asking that layabout to be her roommate, as he created the mess of two people and refused to help with anything
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of layabout
As the story begins, Mary and Boo are neighbors, unemployed millennial layabouts who rarely leave their rooms.
—
Katie Rife, IndieWire, 24 Jan. 2026
Tamma’s mother is partnered with a drug-dealing layabout; Dan’s mother, a onetime successful novelist, has a worsening heart condition.
—Los Angeles Times, 20 Jan. 2026
Not surprisingly, some colonists preferred to be layabouts.
—The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 27 Nov. 2025
The revolution is in tatters, and DiCaprio’s Bob, once a celebrity rebel, is now a benignly useless substance-using layabout who tries, in his shambling way, to take care of his and Perfidia’s daughter, Willa (played with a no-nonsense radiance by Chase Infiniti).
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 17 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for layabout
Katie Rife, IndieWire, 24 Jan. 2026
Tamma’s mother is partnered with a drug-dealing layabout; Dan’s mother, a onetime successful novelist, has a worsening heart condition.
—Los Angeles Times, 20 Jan. 2026
Not surprisingly, some colonists preferred to be layabouts.
—The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 27 Nov. 2025
The revolution is in tatters, and DiCaprio’s Bob, once a celebrity rebel, is now a benignly useless substance-using layabout who tries, in his shambling way, to take care of his and Perfidia’s daughter, Willa (played with a no-nonsense radiance by Chase Infiniti).
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 17 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for layabout
Recent Examples of Synonyms for layabout
Noun
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Leda nodded and then took a long slug from her can.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 June 2026
-
Perhaps a big slug is promised to Robinhood for its users?—
Jim Cramer,
CNBC,
31 May 2026
Noun
-
Ukraine this year has rapidly developed its medium and long-range drones to attack Russian targets, including Moscow’s oil facilities and other locations far beyond the frontlines.—
Helen Regan,
CNN Money,
3 June 2026
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The search was scheduled to continue Tuesday, including the use of drones, officials said.—
Mark Price,
Charlotte Observer,
2 June 2026
Noun
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The Kings will inevitably be criticized for making a series of bad decisions and bum deals while Fox, Barnes and Brown grace the game’s grandest stage a year after being cast off under questionable circumstances.—
Jason Anderson,
Sacbee.com,
2 June 2026
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The former great who played six seasons in Canada before a 17-year NFL career with the Oilers, Vikings, Seahawks and Chiefs once tried to rush back from a bum right ankle himself.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
1 June 2026
Noun
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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
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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
Noun
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Honeymooners canoodling in cabanas, discreet execs in Loro Piana loafers, and the occasional celeb keeping a low profile behind Prada sunglasses.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
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New styles include the Faith loafer, Paul chukka boot, Graham loafer and a new sandal assortment launching for the spring 2027 collection.—
Fairchild Studio,
Footwear News,
1 June 2026
Noun
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His discoveries promise to upset the gaming tables of every school of thought that wagers on new and untested art for idlers’ rewards: the love of novelty, the will to make or unmake reputations, the wish to be hip or au courant.—
Mark Greif,
Harper's Magazine,
26 July 2024
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Their name exudes the essence of an idler and slacker, but women’s loafers themselves are quite the opposite.—
Gaby Keiderling,
Harper's BAZAAR,
19 Jan. 2023
Noun
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Both the Desert Museum and the Phoenix Zoo have committed to taking in turtles, pupfish, and snails as needed.—
Moná Thomas,
PEOPLE,
1 June 2026
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Intersperse the plants around your beans or greens to confuse slugs and snails.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
31 May 2026
Noun
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Scar then proceeds to desolate the kingdom, with the help of hyenas, while Simba, in exile, grows up to become a pleasure-hunting, grub-eating sluggard.—
Anthony Lane,
The New Yorker,
19 July 2019
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Clearly, supervision at your job is lax, and your sluggard classmate is taking advantage of that.—
Kwame Anthony Appiah,
New York Times,
11 Oct. 2017
Cite this Entry
“Layabout.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/layabout. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
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