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
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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
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Recent Examples of ne'er-do-well
Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 20 Feb. 2026
Butler portrays the charming ne'er-do-well Hank, an East Village bartender who loves his mom, baseball and girlfriend Yvonne (Zoë Kravitz).
—Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2025
Who amongst us hasn't wanted to enjoy the spoils of a ne'er-do-well's criminal enterprises?
—Chris Haslam, Wired News, 23 May 2025
How To Solve Today’s Wordle The Hint: Useful for protecting your home from disaster or ne'er-do-wells.
—Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 20 May 2025
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
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
Noun
After seeing the flare, the ne'er-do-wells steal Hunter's car instead of calling for help.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 20 Feb. 2026
Butler portrays the charming ne'er-do-well Hank, an East Village bartender who loves his mom, baseball and girlfriend Yvonne (Zoë Kravitz).
—Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2025
Who amongst us hasn't wanted to enjoy the spoils of a ne'er-do-well's criminal enterprises?
—Chris Haslam, Wired News, 23 May 2025
How To Solve Today’s Wordle The Hint: Useful for protecting your home from disaster or ne'er-do-wells.
—Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 20 May 2025
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ne'er-do-well
Adjective
-
Basically, the lazy person’s way to a six pack.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 May 2026
-
What’s more, over the next few months, the ChatGPT users got lazier with each essay, ultimately resorting to copy-and-paste by the end of the study.—
Aytekin Tank,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2026
Noun
-
Kentucky, vote the bum out on Tuesday.—
Quinn Scanlan,
ABC News,
17 May 2026
-
A lot of these babies have bum agents that lowball them.—
Zak Cheney-Rice,
Vulture,
13 May 2026
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
-
Whether it’s used as an everyday bag or a supplement to your airport lineup, this versatile hobo bag seamlessly adapts to any occasion.—
Julia Morlino,
Travel + Leisure,
15 May 2026
-
Brown accessories are mainstays for the supermodel—soft loafers, a hobo bag, belt, and sunglasses, all in a chocolate tone, offer those finishing touches that never lose their urban appeal.—
Kristina Rutkowski,
Vogue,
21 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Yet for the people creating it—all of us—this data has become functionally worthless.—
Alice Xiang,
Time,
6 May 2026
-
If the option expires worthless, the seller keeps the premium as income.—
Michael Khouw,
CNBC,
4 May 2026
Adjective
-
David Lynch's projects, the TV series Twin Peaks and the 1984 film Dune, launched MacLachlan to stardom in the '80s, before landing the role as Fred and Barney's no-good boss Cliff Vandercave in The Flintstones.—
Kate Hogan,
PEOPLE,
8 May 2026
-
This is going to be a horrible, terrible, no-good, very bad day.—
Nathan Rott,
NPR,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Gobert was chief among the beggars imploring his teammates for a shred of consistency on that end of the floor.—
Jace Frederick,
Twin Cities,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Antinous later shocked the other suitors by insulting and assaulting with a footstool an elderly beggar who had spoken to him in the palace hall.—
Gitanjali Roy,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
9 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
After months of mounting hype and idle space, the 2026 NFL schedule has finally been unveiled in full.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
New York Times,
16 May 2026
-
These days, the 007 sits idle while schools of fish nibble at the algae that grows on its barriers.—
Scotty Reiss,
Forbes.com,
14 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ne'er-do-well.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ne%27er-do-well. Accessed 25 May. 2026.
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