LOW-LIFE Synonyms: 153 Similar and Opposite Words

low-life 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of low-life

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

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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

Adjective

Budgets have tightened and commissioners have retreated to the familiar — backing low-cost dramas and safe-bet crime formats.

— Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 14 Oct. 2026
However, the 98,701 figure is the lowest since 1967, when 94,778 arrests were made nationwide, according to Border Patrol data.

— Anna Giaritelli, The Washington Examiner, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of low

Noun

There’s been bestselling books, podcasts, an Alex Gibney documentary, and an Emmy-winning series featuring Amanda Seyfried as the Silicon Valley scoundrel.

— Brent Lang, IndieWire, 16 Oct. 2026
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

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

Rival fans were quick to jump all over this fact, given that both the Panthers and the Tkachuk brothers were seen as polarizing villains throughout the NHL.

— Austin Perry OutKick, FOXNews.com, 16 Oct. 2026
Is that the most difficult thing for you as the showrunner of a political show today — a president as a villain?

— Yvonne Villarreal, Los Angeles Times, 16 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

An alligator with a sense of humor knocked on a North Carolina woman’s front door in the middle of the night, and the rascal got a rather rude response.

— Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 12 Oct. 2026
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

Definition of rascal

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low-level

low-life

lowlife

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Style

“Low-life.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/low-life. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of low-life

adjective

noun

Example Sentences

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