51Թ

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View synonyms for

ne'er-do-well

[ nair-doo-wel ]

noun

  1. an idle, worthless person; a person who is ineffectual, unsuccessful, or completely lacking in merit; good-for-nothing.

    Synonyms: , ,



adjective

  1. worthless; ineffectual; good-for-nothing.

ne'er-do-well

noun

  1. an improvident, irresponsible, or lazy person
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

adjective

  1. useless; worthless

    your ne'er-do-well schemes

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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51Թ History and Origins

Origin of ne'er-do-well1

First recorded in 1730–40
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Harley's a consistent ne'er-do-well with a heart of gold, a living fantasy of having it all in the most extreme way while being unencumbered by caring about what anyone other than your best friend thinks.

From

Sometimes, the tag refers to a pariah, a ne'er-do-well, a killjoy, or an interloper, but it's always subjective.

From

The Tampa Bay Times, his local newspaper, called Gaetz an "entitled ne'er-do-well."

From

Hiring some ne'er-do-well relative is one of the ways rich and powerful people scratch each other's backs — and, not incidentally, ensure that the quasi-aristocracy of the one percent is perpetuated.

From

Flynn gives Pascal a reckless impudence, all but reveling in his status as the ne'er-do-well boyfriend.

From

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