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
Relevance
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
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
Aarian Marshall, WIRED, 19 Dec. 2019
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
Noun
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ne'er-do-well
Adjective
-
For those who prefer a little more structure to their days, the resort has all kinds of other tricks up its sleeve, including an expansive waterpark featuring a lazy river, several waterslides, and adults-only pools surrounded by cabanas and day beds.—
Tara Massouleh McCay,
Southern Living,
3 Apr. 2025
-
Attractions include a one-acre wave pool, lazy river, and Summit Plummet, one of the tallest and fastest free-fall body slides in the world.—
Carly Caramanna,
Travel + Leisure,
2 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
This was all done with a bum wrist, which posed as an inconvenience to him at times.—
Hannah Kirby,
Journal Sentinel,
4 Aug. 2024
-
Tommy, left to prosecute the case against Rusty, has inherited a bum gig.—
Vinson Cunningham,
The New Yorker,
26 July 2024
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
-
Extra hooks allow the bag to transform into a trapezoidal hobo shape.—
Joelle Diderich,
WWD,
19 Sep. 2024
-
There’s a lot to love about Coach’s viral shoulder bag: the modern hobo style, the soft leather, the distinct shape.—
Lindy Segal,
Glamour,
13 Sep. 2024
Adjective
-
The markets are already speaking: The U.S. dollar now trades for more than 1 million rials, an almost 75 percent increase from a few months ago, making the Iranian currency among the most worthless in the world (in 2015, when Iran last signed a deal with the U.S., the dollar was just 29,500 IRR).—
Arash Azizi,
The Atlantic,
3 Apr. 2025
-
For his part, Zelenskyy tried to say that any agreement with Putin was worthless, as Rubio pointed out.—
Tom Zirpoli,
Baltimore Sun,
11 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Watch my video discussion of these shows below: What were your least-favorite, no-good, terrible TV shows of 2024?—
Erik Kain,
Forbes,
25 Dec. 2024
-
Moving right along, Rufus (Michael Maggi), the no-good gambler who lost his wife, Salena’s, shares in the Blue faction, gets put to work by Berenice, Titus’s Judean queen-mistress-whatever.—
Sean T. Collins,
Vulture,
18 July 2024
Noun
-
The beggars, widows, and families with sick relatives who once made a pilgrimage to the gates of the parliament building in the Green Zone to beg lawmakers for help are now barred from entry.—
Ned Parker,
Foreign Affairs,
12 Feb. 2012
-
All the beggars at the intersection of Lee Road and the off-ramp of I-4 are completely out of hand.—
Ticked Off,
Orlando Sentinel,
18 July 2024
Adjective
-
These men would have long periods of time being idle, and the contrast between boredom and peril is pretty extreme.—
Brian Davids,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Apr. 2025
-
At 45-32, the Clippers are tied with the No. 6 Minnesota Timberwolves and No. 8 Memphis Grizzlies, who were both idle.—
Janis Carr,
Oc Register,
5 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ne'er-do-well.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ne%27er-do-well. Accessed 20 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share