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
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
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Recent Examples of ne'er-do-well
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
How To Solve Today’s Wordle The Hint: Useful for protecting your home from disaster or ne'er-do-wells.
—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
20 May 2025
Oct 10, 2024 Gulf Coast Reporter Chris Gray is Chron's Gulf Coast Reporter, covering tourism and tourists, energy and the environment, overachievers and ne'er-do-wells: compelling stories from across the upper Texas coast, but with a deep focus on Galveston's rich history and culture.
—
Chris Gray,
Chron,
10 Oct. 2024
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
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
How To Solve Today’s Wordle The Hint: Useful for protecting your home from disaster or ne'er-do-wells.
—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
20 May 2025
Oct 10, 2024 Gulf Coast Reporter Chris Gray is Chron's Gulf Coast Reporter, covering tourism and tourists, energy and the environment, overachievers and ne'er-do-wells: compelling stories from across the upper Texas coast, but with a deep focus on Galveston's rich history and culture.
—
Chris Gray,
Chron,
10 Oct. 2024
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
-
And just like Alito, some members of my family have forgotten our history and support Trump or favor some of his immigration policies, dismissing new arrivals as criminals or lazy.
-
Today, the park operates more than 40 family-friendly water attractions including thrilling slides, casual pools and a lazy river.
Noun
-
Designed with a plunging neckline, modest bum coverage, and compressive fabric with UPF 50 sun protection, the elegant silhouette offers rich-girl vacation energy that could easily double as a bodysuit with shorts.
-
For those caught unaware, the flies will also happily lay eggs in convenient openings such as the nose, mouth, ears, eyes, and even the bum, if available.
Adjective
-
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.
-
Yet later this year up to 40 healthy Australian volunteers may begin receiving infusions of the supposedly good-for-nothing molecule.
Noun
-
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.
-
Schneider plays David, a reticent young man with the soulful-hobo air of a Beat poet, who makes a living as an events photographer but whose private passion is a secretive lifelong project, inherited from his father, documenting the changing Parisian suburbs.
Adjective
-
Bitcoin is either digital gold or worthless.
-
If Iran can still open and shut the Strait at will or charge fees on it, does that mean this agreement is worthless?
Noun
-
Gobert was chief among the beggars imploring his teammates for a shred of consistency on that end of the floor.
-
So disguised as a beggar, Odysseus shows up at his palace, and he is not treated very nicely by the suitors who have camped out in his house.
Adjective
-
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.
-
With Ethan Hawke's newbie simmering against the go-for-broke finesse of Denzel Washington's very bad, no-good officer, Training Day revels in tension, with washes of blue and green augmenting scenes where Hawke is bullied into getting high.
Adjective
-
Reclaiming idle assets cuts waste, spend and unnecessary procurement at the same time.
-
No, not the usual idle front-row niceties, but the scorching heat wave that has settled like a dense cloud over the City of Lights.
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 Jul. 2026.
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