deadbeat

Meanings

1. A lazy or irresponsible person who is often unemployed, often depending upon wealthy or otherwise financially independent people for support.
2. A person who defaults on debts.

1. Having a damped needle that stops without oscillation.
2. Defaulting on one's debts.
3. Defeated or exhausted.
4. Lazy or irresponsible.
5. Dead tired.

Etymology

From dead + beat. As an adjective, of a person, to be exhausted, first use appears c. the 1820s. During the American Civil War, it also became a derogatory adjective, in the sense of "a person that defaults on their debts or avoids responsibilities" and "sponger", "vagabond". This sense dates from c. 1863. Possibly related to good for nothing.