as in lazy
having no ambition, success, or value to society
refused to leave anything in his will to his good-for-nothing grandchildren
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in bum
an idle worthless person
teacher after teacher had predicted that he would never be more than a good-for-nothing
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 good-for-nothing
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
In the film, directed by Taika Waititi, Hela comes back to Asgard seeking revenge and looking to kick everybody's ass, starting with her good-for-nothing brothers Loki (Tom Hiddleston) and Thor (Hemsworth).
—
Lester Fabian Brathwaite,
EW.com,
16 Mar. 2023
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
In the film, directed by Taika Waititi, Hela comes back to Asgard seeking revenge and looking to kick everybody's ass, starting with her good-for-nothing brothers Loki (Tom Hiddleston) and Thor (Hemsworth).
—
Lester Fabian Brathwaite,
EW.com,
16 Mar. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for good-for-nothing
Adjective
-
And just like Alito, some members of my family have forgotten our history and support Trump or favor some of his immigration policies, dismissing new arrivals as criminals or lazy.
-
Today, the park operates more than 40 family-friendly water attractions including thrilling slides, casual pools and a lazy river.
Noun
-
Designed with a plunging neckline, modest bum coverage, and compressive fabric with UPF 50 sun protection, the elegant silhouette offers rich-girl vacation energy that could easily double as a bodysuit with shorts.
-
For those caught unaware, the flies will also happily lay eggs in convenient openings such as the nose, mouth, ears, eyes, and even the bum, if available.
Adjective
-
Bitcoin is either digital gold or worthless.
-
If Iran can still open and shut the Strait at will or charge fees on it, does that mean this agreement is worthless?
Noun
-
Gobert was chief among the beggars imploring his teammates for a shred of consistency on that end of the floor.
-
So disguised as a beggar, Odysseus shows up at his palace, and he is not treated very nicely by the suitors who have camped out in his house.
Adjective
-
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.
-
With Ethan Hawke's newbie simmering against the go-for-broke finesse of Denzel Washington's very bad, no-good officer, Training Day revels in tension, with washes of blue and green augmenting scenes where Hawke is bullied into getting high.
Noun
-
Per usual with movies like this, spelling out the terror (the roots are in hobo codes and religious legend) becomes, regrettably, a shock absorber, not a facilitator.
-
Schneider plays David, a reticent young man with the soulful-hobo air of a Beat poet, who makes a living as an events photographer but whose private passion is a secretive lifelong project, inherited from his father, documenting the changing Parisian suburbs.
Adjective
-
Reclaiming idle assets cuts waste, spend and unnecessary procurement at the same time.
-
No, not the usual idle front-row niceties, but the scorching heat wave that has settled like a dense cloud over the City of Lights.
Cite this Entry
“Good-for-nothing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/good-for-nothing. Accessed 4 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
