ne'er-do-well

/'neədu:,wel/

Thân thiện

A man known as a ne'er-do-well lounges on a park bench all afternoon.

Definition

Noun: * An idle, worthless, or irresponsible person; someone who is lazy and fails to do anything useful or productive with their life.

Usage

• The word "ne'er-do-well" is a somewhat old-fashioned or literary term, often used to express disapproval or criticism of someone's character and lack of ambition. It is typically used as a countable noun.
• It can describe someone who avoids work, is financially irresponsible, or is generally seen as a failure by societal standards.

Examples

• The family was constantly bailing out their ne'er-do-well son, who couldn't hold down a job.
• In the old novel, the charming but penniless ne'er-do-well tried to marry the heiress for her fortune.
• He was dismissed by the town as a lazy ne'er-do-well who spent his days at the pub.

Advanced Usage

• The term can sometimes carry a connotation of charm or roguishness, especially in historical or literary contexts, but the core meaning remains negative—a person who does no good ("ne'er-do-well" is a contraction of "never-do-well").

Variants and Related Words

• Good-for-nothing (noun/adjective): A very close synonym with identical meaning.
• Wastrel (noun): A person who wastes time or resources; an idler.
• Layabout (noun, chiefly British): A person who does little or no work.
• Deadbeat (noun, informal): Specifically refers to someone who avoids paying debts or shirks responsibilities.

Synonyms

• Idler
• Loafer
• Wastrel
• Good-for-nothing
• Layabout
• Deadbeat
• Waster

Antonyms

• Go-getter
• Achiever
• Hard worker
• Paragon

Học thuật

Noun

1. an idle worthless person

Từ đồng nghĩa

• goldbrick
• goof-off
• good-for-nothing
• no-account
• good-for-naught