low-life 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of low-lifenext
as in low
belonging to the class of people of low social or economic rank photographs of the low-life residents of postwar Paris

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

lowlife

2 of 2

noun

as in scoundrel

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

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 low-life
Adjective
The president can be assured that his low-life actions will eliminate him as a candidate to get to Heaven. — Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 25 Mar. 2026 Inside, everything was magically transformed into a 1930s Parisian low-life dive. — Hamish Bowles, Vogue, 23 Mar. 2026
Noun
Or, plant a gun on a lowlife who deserved it and the world's a better place. — Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 15 May 2026 Their search leads them to a local drug lord and a galaxy of lowlifes, all of whom are hiding something. — Jordan Hoffman, Entertainment Weekly, 13 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for low-life
Recent Examples of Synonyms for low-life
  1. low
  2. scoundrel
  3. lower-class
  4. wretch
  5. plebeian
  6. villain
  7. proletarian
  8. rascal
Adjective
  • The ground floor is dedicated to womenswear and accessories, with menswear and accessories on the lower level.
    — Miles Socha, Footwear News, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Four add-ons—acupuncture, intralipid infusion (fat injections intended to regulate the immune system) and platelet-rich-plasma (PRP), or blood injections, in the uterus and ovaries—had either mixed evidence or low quality data backing them up.
    — Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of low
Noun
  • Meanwhile, Frank Dillane plays Willoughby, Marianne’s love interest, with such commitment that the actor was surprised to learn his character is universally acknowledged to be a scoundrel.
    — Rebecca Mead, New Yorker, 21 Sep. 2026
  • But as with any good Leonard story, the best moments come from the characters, a rogues’ gallery of violent ruffians and neurotic, duplicitous scoundrels.
    — Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of scoundrel
Adjective
  • But new research is shedding light on what life was like for middle- and lower-class residents.
    — Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 20 July 2026
  • The franchise centers around a dystopian nation called Panem, where rich and authoritarian leaders force twelve lower-class districts to submit two children to fight in a deadly, and televised, battle every year.
    — Nicholas Rice, PEOPLE, 11 July 2026
Definition of lower-class
Noun
  • The first time, Julian’s children (James Corden, Jessica Gunning) seemed like miserable, greedy wretches.
    — Brent Lang, Variety, 11 Apr. 2026
  • The elegant sets and lavish costume designs are stunning, as is Jacob Elordi's multi-faceted performance as the intelligent wretch stitched together from corpses.
    — Jeff Spry, Space.com, 27 Dec. 2025
Definition of wretch
Adjective
  • Linen and cotton, cooling garments, were too plebeian; the people posed nobly for street-style social-media accounts in leather jackets and low-slung jorts.
    — Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 27 June 2026
  • This one is about a regular old guy, a hedge knight in the plebeian population of Westeros, just trying to get by in a world that isn't kind to the common and poor.
    — Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 13 Jan. 2026
Definition of plebeian
Noun
  • Tell me more about William, the actual villain, and what his character represents.
    — Selome Hailu, Variety, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Despite Nas emerging as one of the season’s primary antagonists, Kelly doesn’t necessarily view him as a straightforward villain.
    — Lexi Carson, HollywoodReporter, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of villain
Adjective
  • But West Virginia is a proletarian locale that until not long ago was a Democratic stronghold.
    — Mark Leibovich, The Atlantic, 11 Feb. 2026
  • These ranged from the aristocratic elite who dominated the military and bureaucracy and yearned for a return to monarchy, to communists who sought proletarian rule, to the National Socialists who wanted to establish a right-wing dictatorship.
    — Time, Time, 23 Oct. 2025
Definition of proletarian
Noun
  • Even though the Feeneys have gotten more competitive under the junior Michel’s management, the rascal-on-the-field ethos of the original team still prevails.
    — Christopher Buchanan, Los Angeles Times, 26 June 2026
  • Not even the curmudgeonly Melvin can bring himself to harm the little rascal.
    — Camille Perri, PEOPLE, 10 June 2026
Definition of rascal

Browse Nearby Words

low-level
low-life
lowlife
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Low-life.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/low-life. Accessed 6 Oct. 2026.

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