low-life 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of low-lifenext
as in low
belonging to the class of people of low social or economic rank photographs of the low-life residents of postwar Paris

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

lowlife

2 of 2

noun

as in scoundrel

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

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 low-life
Adjective
This low-life is lying in my jail, getting three meals a day, whining and crying. — Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 29 Nov. 2025 Their father, my grandfather, was a career low-life criminal and was in jail all the time for forgery and conning people. — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 29 Sep. 2025
Noun
There is a new lowlife generation that can’t speak without using vulgar terms. — Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 28 Feb. 2026 Trump fires back at 'lowlifes' as GOP faces fallout from MTG's sudden exit. — FOXNews.com, 24 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for low-life
Recent Examples of Synonyms for low-life
  1. low
  2. scoundrel
  3. lower-class
  4. wretch
  5. plebeian
  6. villain
  7. proletarian
  8. rascal
Adjective
  • The funeral, which ends Thursday, was supposed to be a period of lower tensions.
    — Jon Gambrell, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026
  • Locally heavy rain will quickly reduce visibility and result in ponding of water on roadways, standing water in low lying areas, and minor flooding of creeks, streams, and areas of poor drainage.
    — NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 8 July 2026
Definition of low
Noun
  • And the surviving cartel scoundrels take the parting shot by kidnapping beloved Carter, putting a hood on him and taking the boy off.
    — Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 3 July 2026
  • Star Wars Outlaws on Switch 2 drops you into the galaxy’s underworld as Kay Vess, a scoundrel trying to pull off the biggest heist in the Outer Rim.
    — Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 26 June 2026
Definition of scoundrel
Adjective
  • In recent years, more and more students from lower-class families have been able to attend universities.
    — The Atlantic, The Atlantic, 16 June 2026
Definition of lower-class
Noun
  • The first time, Julian’s children (James Corden, Jessica Gunning) seemed like miserable, greedy wretches.
    — Brent Lang, Variety, 11 Apr. 2026
  • The elegant sets and lavish costume designs are stunning, as is Jacob Elordi's multi-faceted performance as the intelligent wretch stitched together from corpses.
    — Jeff Spry, Space.com, 27 Dec. 2025
Definition of wretch
Adjective
  • Linen and cotton, cooling garments, were too plebeian; the people posed nobly for street-style social-media accounts in leather jackets and low-slung jorts.
    — Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 27 June 2026
  • This one is about a regular old guy, a hedge knight in the plebeian population of Westeros, just trying to get by in a world that isn't kind to the common and poor.
    — Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 13 Jan. 2026
Definition of plebeian
Noun
  • There are probably easier ways to mount a crime thriller steeped in gritty realism than centering it on a villain made of gas.
    — Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 6 July 2026
  • That doesn’t mean Netherlands players are villains, or anything less than heroes for their country.
    — AJ Willingham, AJC.com, 6 July 2026
Definition of villain
Adjective
  • But West Virginia is a proletarian locale that until not long ago was a Democratic stronghold.
    — Mark Leibovich, The Atlantic, 11 Feb. 2026
  • These ranged from the aristocratic elite who dominated the military and bureaucracy and yearned for a return to monarchy, to communists who sought proletarian rule, to the National Socialists who wanted to establish a right-wing dictatorship.
    — Time, Time, 23 Oct. 2025
Definition of proletarian
Noun
  • Even though the Feeneys have gotten more competitive under the junior Michel’s management, the rascal-on-the-field ethos of the original team still prevails.
    — Christopher Buchanan, Los Angeles Times, 26 June 2026
  • Not even the curmudgeonly Melvin can bring himself to harm the little rascal.
    — Camille Perri, PEOPLE, 10 June 2026
Definition of rascal

Browse Nearby Words

low-level
low-life
lowlife
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Low-life.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/low-life. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of gambol

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All