English Explanatory Dictionary

ne'er-do-well

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. A person without a means of support; an idle, worthless person; a loafer; a person who is ineffectual, unsuccessful, or completely lacking in merit; a good-for-nothing.
  2. A person who is up to no good; a rogue.
adj
  1. Showing the characteristics of a ne'er-do-well: indolent, worthless, or roguish.

Pronunciation

/ˈnɛə.duˌwɛl/ /ˈnɛɹ.duˌwɛl/ en-us-ne'er-do-well.ogg

Word forms

ne'er-do-well ne'er-do-wells more ne'er-do-well most ne'er-do-well

Etymology

From the phrase never do well. "Ne'er-do-well" is a contracted compound word stemming from the combination of the words "never do well." “Never-do-well” is sometimes used as an offhand, expanded version of the phrase, where “never” is not contracted. The usage of this version is often attributed to the northeastern United States.

Synonyms

good-for-nothing nogoodnik vagabond never-do-well

Related words

ne'er
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