good-for-nothing
/'gudfə,nʌθiɳ/ Cách viết khác : (good-for-nought) /'gudfənɔ:t/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Adjective:
- Without merit or value; worthless: Describes something or someone that is completely useless, ineffective, or of no benefit.
- Lazy and irresponsible: Specifically describes a person who is idle and contributes nothing of worth.
Noun:
- An idle, worthless person: Refers to a person who is lazy, unproductive, and fails to make any useful contribution.
Usage Examples
Adjective:
- He was fired for being a good-for-nothing employee who never completed his tasks.
- They abandoned the good-for-nothing old car by the side of the road.
Noun:
- Don't listen to him; he's just a good-for-nothing who never held a real job.
- She warned her son not to become a good-for-nothing like his uncle.
Advanced Usage
- Used as a hyphenated compound modifier before a noun.
- He has a good-for-nothing attitude that annoys everyone.
- Often used in a tone of strong disapproval or contempt.
Variants and Related Words
- Good-for-naught (adj/n): An older or less common variant with the same meaning.
- Ne'er-do-well (n): A very close synonym for the noun form, meaning a worthless or lazy person.
- Wastrel (n): A person who wastes time or resources; a good-for-nothing.
Synonyms
- Adjective: worthless, useless, no-good, no-account, sorry.
- Noun: idler, loafer, layabout, deadbeat, wastrel.
Related Idioms and Phrases
- A lazy good-for-nothing: An intensified phrase emphasizing idleness.
- He spent his days on the couch, a lazy good-for-nothing.
- Good for nothing: When not hyphenated, it can function as a descriptive phrase.
- That old tool is good for nothing now. (Note: In this predicative use, it is often not hyphenated.)
Adjective
- without merit
- a sorry horse
- a sorry excuse
- a lazy no-count, good-for-nothing goldbrick
- the car was a no-good piece of junk
Noun
- an idle worthless person