good-for-nothing
Americanadjective
noun
noun
adjective
Etymology
Origin of good-for-nothing
First recorded in 1705–15
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.
We're faced with children who have no motivation at all, children who've been told they're good for nothing, and we want to tell them that's not the correct way.
From BBC • Sep. 27, 2017
But if dysfunction is good for nothing else, it does present opportunity for change.
From Washington Post • Aug. 3, 2016
“These people stand for nothing, most of them are good for nothing, they are not content to say ‘different strokes for different folks,’” he says.
From US News • Jun. 2, 2016
"Earlier we were respected members of our community. Now we are good for nothing, just like the factory."
From Reuters • Oct. 12, 2014
I would be good for nothing but rough work, I could never learn skill in anything.
From "The Golden Goblet" by Eloise Jarvis McGraw
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
