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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 layabout
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
Moore’s then-husband Bruce Willis plays against-type as the abusive layabout husband of hairdresser Joyce (Glenne Headly).
—Katie Rife, EW.com, 2 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for layabout
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
Moore’s then-husband Bruce Willis plays against-type as the abusive layabout husband of hairdresser Joyce (Glenne Headly).
—Katie Rife, EW.com, 2 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for layabout
Recent Examples of Synonyms for layabout
Noun
-
Using alliums as companion plants for celery can deter various pests, including aphids, slugs, and snails.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
28 Apr. 2026
-
The difference is that those other three teams are getting more slug from their sluggers.—
Abbey Mastracco,
New York Daily News,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Kyiv has become an arms powerhouse by building up its drone capabilities and bolstering defense partnerships that give it additional geopolitical leverage, an analyst argued in Persuasion.—
J.D. Capelouto,
semafor.com,
3 May 2026
-
This year's exercise involves more than 5,000 personnel from over 40 nations, with a growing focus on advanced technologies, including drones, autonomous systems, and artificial intelligence.—
Duarte Dias,
CBS News,
3 May 2026
Noun
-
Squinting through the flatulent fog, Absalom manages to return fire, planting a red-hot iron on Nicholas’s bum.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
4 May 2026
-
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
Noun
-
Housing prices and rents are inflated by restrictive zoning laws, union work and pay scale mandates, excessive building codes and environmental requirements, litigation and planning process delays, anti-landlord policies that favor deadbeats and squatters, and the list goes on.—
Adam B. Summers,
Oc Register,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Housing prices and rents are inflated by restrictive zoning laws, union work and pay scale mandates, excessive building codes and environmental requirements, litigation and planning process delays, anti-landlord policies that favor deadbeats and squatters, and the list goes on.—
Adam Summers,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Ballet flats, loafers, Mary Janes, and yes, even heels, are perfect for refreshing this athleisure trend.—
Tatiana Ojea,
Glamour,
3 May 2026
-
Amazon’s spring-to-summer fashion section is brimming with comfy wide-leg pants that can be easily dressed up for the office with a polished blouse and loafers.—
Emily Weaver,
PEOPLE,
1 May 2026
Noun
-
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
-
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
-
Toads help control snails, slugs, caterpillars, and other invertebrates—pests that have the potential to harm your garden plants, says Amarello.—
Michelle Mastro,
Martha Stewart,
6 May 2026
-
Similarly, slugs and snails are less likely to travel across jagged surfaces, which can make pine cones a helpful barrier around vulnerable plants like lettuce or hostas.—
Jessica Safavimehr,
Southern Living,
6 May 2026
Noun
-
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
-
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 7 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
