deadbeat
noun
a person who deliberately avoids paying debts or neglects responsibilities.
deadbeats
-
pluralof deadbeat.plural
The grammatical form denoting more than one person, place, thing, or idea.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Perhaps that’s because state and city laws make it difficult to evict deadbeats.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 30, 2025
Far from being "deadbeats", Nathan says all the young dads he's worked with "will literally dedicate their whole life to being the best dad they can possibly be".
From BBC ● Nov. 6, 2023
We take fatherhood very seriously, calling out bad dads and disassociating ourselves from deadbeats.
From Salon ● Jun. 21, 2020
A review of hundreds of federal lawsuits filed against screening companies over the past 10 years shows how hasty, sloppy matches can lead to reports that wrongly label people deadbeats, criminals or sex offenders.
From New York Times ● May 28, 2020
In the past I had put up with her tantrums and said nothing when she'd yelled at me in front of the deadbeats, but this was asking too much.
From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris
