NE'ER-DO-WELL Synonyms: 50 Similar and Opposite Words

ne'er-do-well 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of ne'er-do-well

as in lazy

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

ne'er-do-well

2 of 2

noun

ˈner-du̇-ˌwel

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

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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

Adjective

In the nearly 90-second recording, Varela calls the customer service representative lazy, rude and racist and asks her for her name tag.

— Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 21 July 2026
Summer could be the perfect time to savor just about anything—from the long, lazy days to the farmers-market-fresh flavors.

— Jamie Cuccinelli, Martha Stewart, 20 July 2026

Definition of lazy

Noun

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
Sometimes there is a fine line between being a hero or a bum, but Dave has been able to negotiate that line, because players trust him, and the players know that Dave cares about them and their families.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 4 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

What otherwise might have been worthless bits of trash commanded the highest bids due to where the two items were 57 years ago—lifting off aboard NASA’s Apollo 11 spacecraft on humanity’s first mission to land astronauts on the Moon.

— Robert Pearlman, ArsTechnica, 15 July 2026
When software moves money on its own, a procedures document is worthless.

— Rahul Bhatia, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026

Definition of worthless

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

Wheelchair assistance then forgot about us, and an employee accused me of trying to steal an idle wheelchair.

— Josh Rivera, USA Today, 19 July 2026
That means more idle time for the players, which some see as a steep and unnecessary change at the most important match.

— Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 19 July 2026

Definition of idle

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ne'er-do-well

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Style

“Ne'er-do-well.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ne%27er-do-well. Accessed 23 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of ne'er-do-well

adjective

noun

Example Sentences

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