as in bums
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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Recent Examples of ne'er-do-wells
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
Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 20 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ne'er-do-wells
Noun
-
Expensive trip to modern backcountry huts Backcountry skiing is no longer just for ski bums.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
28 Feb. 2026
-
And, then, of course, the park was full of bums like us.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
In the old days beggars were drawn and quartered in that square.—
George Packer,
The Atlantic,
6 Nov. 2025
-
In Havana, beggars are ubiquitous.—
Jon Lee Anderson,
New Yorker,
29 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The former, in which Burnett and Hamilton did a song-and-dance routine as Dust Bowl-era hobos, marked the first of several times that the two performed together.—
Rachel Syme,
New Yorker,
29 Sep. 2025
-
From oversized, slouchy hobos to structured East-West silhouettes and laptop-ready work totes, this season’s best suede bags deliver a luxurious polish that will elevate every fall wardrobe.—
Lauren Alexis Fisher,
Footwear News,
3 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ne'er-do-wells.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ne%27er-do-wells. Accessed 8 Mar. 2026.
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