NE'ER-DO-WELL Synonyms: 50 Similar and Opposite Words

ne'er-do-well 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of ne'er-do-well

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

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

ne'er-do-well

2 of 2

noun

ˈner-du̇-ˌwel

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

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 ne'er-do-well

Noun

Though Stinky Pete turns out to be a ne'er-do-well, Jessie is a valuable new pal who reveals her own trauma from being donated by her kid. — Brian Truitt, USA Today, 19 June 2026 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 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 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

All is peaceful under the long, lazy loggia laden with vibrant fuschia bougainvillaea – the Passeggiata dei Monaci – and in the neat orchards low-hanging with fat, bobbly Amalfi lemons.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
With the White Sox clinging to a one-run lead, Anthony Kay erased Yordan Alvarez on a lineout and got Jose Altuve to hit a lazy fly ball, ending the threat.

— Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of lazy

Noun

Carl Sandburg’s 1927 American Songbag featured a whole section of hobo songs presenting the bum as a beau ideal.

— Caroline Fraser, The New York Review of Books, 3 Oct. 2026
The silhouette was heavily elongated, with three-quarter-length jackets and argyle knitwear that covered the bum.

— ABC News, ABC News, 24 Sep. 2026

Definition of bum

Adjective

With Jun-hyeon trapped in a coma inside of Yong-ho’s older body, Yong-ho goes about seeking revenge on his good-for-nothing children, and ensuring the future of the Choiseong Group.

— Kayti Burt, Time, 6 July 2026
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

Definition of good-for-nothing

Noun

Carl Sandburg’s 1927 American Songbag featured a whole section of hobo songs presenting the bum as a beau ideal.

— Caroline Fraser, The New York Review of Books, 3 Oct. 2026
From feeding hobos on the back porch in the night in the Great Depression to marching against wars for oil in the Eighties and Nineties.

— Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 3 Oct. 2026

Definition of hobo

Adjective

Matter is never worthless, but assigning it a price does not necessarily make its environmental and social costs disappear.

— Edward D. Melillo, The Conversation, 30 Sep. 2026
Fraud tools aren’t worthless, but too many merchants discover their limitations the hard way.

— Wayne Hamilton, Forbes.com, 25 Sep. 2026

Definition of worthless

Adjective

The question now is how the Giants can make the most of a bad, no-good situation.

— Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 14 July 2026
And with nary a golfer from the upstart tour within eight strokes of Round 2 leader Wyndham Clark at 7 under par, LIV’s no-good, very bad 2026 continued Friday.

— Matt Schubert, New York Times, 20 June 2026

Definition of no-good

Adjective

Treasurers want to reduce idle balances and manage liquidity more efficiently.

— Pratik Khowala, Forbes.com, 6 Oct. 2026
For now, though, the band’s tour bus is sitting idle in the middle of a Planet Fitness parking lot in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and Shepherd uses the safe space to open up more.

— Selena Fragassi, SPIN, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of idle

Browse Nearby Words

ne'er

ne'er-do-well

ne'er-do-wells

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Ne'er-do-well.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ne%27er-do-well. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of ne'er-do-well

adjective

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

nexus

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Why do we call it a 'flea market'?

Popular

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes