ne'er-do-well 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of ne'er-do-wellnext
as in lazy
having no ambition, success, or value to society the ne'er-do-well denizens of a seedy bar near the docks

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

ne'er-do-well

2 of 2

noun

ˈner-du̇-ˌwel How to pronounce ne'er-do-well (audio)
as in bum
an idle worthless person the local ne'er-do-wells seem to hang out on the street corners at all hours of the day and night

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 ne'er-do-well
Noun
Though Stinky Pete turns out to be a ne'er-do-well, Jessie is a valuable new pal who reveals her own trauma from being donated by her kid. — Brian Truitt, USA Today, 19 June 2026 After seeing the flare, the ne'er-do-wells steal Hunter's car instead of calling for help. — Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 20 Feb. 2026 Who amongst us hasn't wanted to enjoy the spoils of a ne'er-do-well's criminal enterprises? — Chris Haslam, Wired News, 23 May 2025 Rickman's agent was flooded with offers, beseeching the actor to play more debonair ne'er-do-wells. — Clark Collis, EW.com, 25 May 2023 In April, the company had to temporarily shut down service in Chicago when ne'er-do-wells managed to fraudulently rent and then steal 100 Mercedes-Benz vehicles off the street. — Aarian Marshall, WIRED, 19 Dec. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ne'er-do-well
  1. lazy
  2. bum
  3. good-for-nothing
  4. hobo
  5. worthless
  6. beggar
  7. no-good
  8. idle
Adjective
  • Traditional lazy Susans only work on round tables -- enter The Lazy Susan Revolution, a patented system designed specifically for long, rectangular and oval tables, bringing every dish within reach of every guest.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Most of my procrastination stems from being too lazy to expertly fold my clothes properly in my suitcase to avoid wrinkles.
    — Julia Morlino, Travel + Leisure, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of lazy
Noun
  • In terms of consistency, there really is no bum track on this album.
    — David Harris, SPIN, 21 July 2026
  • The Coliseum stayed in business for 500 years, bums in seats twice a week, watching people hack each other to death.
    — David Frum, The Atlantic, 8 July 2026
Definition of bum
Adjective
  • With Jun-hyeon trapped in a coma inside of Yong-ho’s older body, Yong-ho goes about seeking revenge on his good-for-nothing children, and ensuring the future of the Choiseong Group.
    — Kayti Burt, Time, 6 July 2026
  • 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
Definition of good-for-nothing
Noun
  • The slouchy silhouette is ideal for anyone who appreciates the hobo bag look.
    — Mia McManus, PEOPLE, 11 July 2026
  • Per usual with movies like this, spelling out the terror (the roots are in hobo codes and religious legend) becomes, regrettably, a shock absorber, not a facilitator.
    — Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 22 May 2026
Definition of hobo
Adjective
  • Second, the hacker had ignored valuable data on Hugging Face’s servers in search of worthless answers to a test.
    — Stephen Witt, New Yorker, 30 July 2026
  • On top of that, his degree from a for-profit college - which was later sued over alleged deception - seemed worthless.
    — Jennifer Ludden, NPR, 30 July 2026
Definition of worthless
Noun
  • Robert Pattinson’s big outburst in Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey,’ has gone viral—here’s the ‘beggars’ meme, explained.
    — Dani Di Placido, Forbes.com, 26 July 2026
  • Antinous shocked even the other suitors by insulting and assaulting an elderly beggar; when the beggar revealed himself as Odysseus and slew the suitors, Antinous was the first to die.
    — Gitanjali Roy, Encyclopedia Britannica, 21 July 2026
Definition of beggar
Adjective
  • The question now is how the Giants can make the most of a bad, no-good situation.
    — Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 14 July 2026
  • And with nary a golfer from the upstart tour within eight strokes of Round 2 leader Wyndham Clark at 7 under par, LIV’s no-good, very bad 2026 continued Friday.
    — Matt Schubert, New York Times, 20 June 2026
Definition of no-good
Adjective
  • Cargo ships in most ports idle for less than two days on average.
    — Christopher Cann, USA Today, 2 Aug. 2026
  • That was to avoid both leagues having 15 apiece and with uneven teams every day on the schedule having one team idle.
    — Chuck Murr, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of idle

Browse Nearby Words

ne'er
ne'er-do-well
ne'er-do-wells
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Cite this Entry

“Ne'er-do-well.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ne%27er-do-well. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

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