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
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Recent Examples of ne'er-do-well
Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 20 Feb. 2026
Butler portrays the charming ne'er-do-well Hank, an East Village bartender who loves his mom, baseball and girlfriend Yvonne (Zoë Kravitz).
—Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2025
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
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
Butler portrays the charming ne'er-do-well Hank, an East Village bartender who loves his mom, baseball and girlfriend Yvonne (Zoë Kravitz).
—Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2025
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
-
Black, white, colorful, graphic—the perfect baggy tee will hold your hand through low-key days at the office, weekends in the park, and your laziest bed-rot days.—
Kelsey Stiegman,
Glamour,
27 Mar. 2026
-
The point is to get away from lazy (but practical) System 1 thinking and apply your brain’s full power to seeing through any fraud or deception.—
Neil J. Rubenking,
PC Magazine,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Its silhoutte is relaxed but still makes sure to flatter your bum.—
Katie Decker-Jacoby,
StyleCaster,
24 Mar. 2026
-
As far as the law is concerned, though, bum deals are a twilight zone.—
Anthony Lane,
New Yorker,
22 Mar. 2026
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.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
8 May 2024
-
Yet later this year up to 40 healthy Australian volunteers may begin receiving infusions of the supposedly good-for-nothing molecule.—
ByMitch Leslie,
science.org,
8 June 2023
Noun
-
In fact, that hobo-style bag (which Kennedy was often photographed using to shield herself from paparazzi) ushered in a new era of softer and much more versatile handbags for women everywhere.—
Anna Cafolla,
Vogue,
27 Mar. 2026
-
On March 19, the 53-year-old actor was spotted filming a new project in New York City wearing a pair of cream suede ankle booties with a bit of a relaxed scrunch that went perfectly with the vibe of her cozy flannel button-down, oversized robe cardigan, and slouchy hobo bag.—
Emily Tannenbaum,
Glamour,
21 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
America has already achieved an important objective by restoring credibility to our deterrence since military power is worthless if adversaries don’t believe this power will ever be employed.—
Colin Pascal,
Baltimore Sun,
29 Mar. 2026
-
The winner of the postal contract — a worthless piece of paper without Havana landing rights — was forced to merge.—
Miami Herald Archives,
Miami Herald,
26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Archie has a no-good, very-bad day, and Dylan goes to bat for her students.—
Erin Qualey,
Vulture,
16 Mar. 2026
-
The ordeal at Keystone gave me an up-close view of the no-good, very bad 2025-26 ski season.—
Frederick Dreier,
Outside,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
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.—
Nina Metz,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Hollywood turned him into a beggar.—
Lili Anolik,
Vanity Fair,
12 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The league-leading Avalanche (45-13-10) moved four points ahead of idle Dallas for the top spot in the Western Conference.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
21 Mar. 2026
-
Utah remained six points ahead of the idle Kings for the first wild-card spot in the Western Conference.—
Oc Register,
Oc Register,
21 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ne'er-do-well.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ne%27er-do-well. Accessed 31 Mar. 2026.
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