ne'er-do-well

American  

[nair-doo-wel] / ˈnɛər duˌwɛl /

noun

1. an idle, worthless person; a person who is ineffectual, unsuccessful, or completely lacking in merit; good-for-nothing.

   Synonyms:

   wastrel, loafer, idler

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adjective

1. worthless; ineffectual; good-for-nothing.

ne'er-do-well British  

noun

1. an improvident, irresponsible, or lazy person

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adjective

1. useless; worthless

   your ne'er-do-well schemes

Etymology

Origin of ne'er-do-well

First recorded in 1730–40

Example Sentences

Peter Quill, aka Star-Lord, is still a man plucked from Earth in the ’80s to live a ne’er do well life in space before cleaning up his act.

From The Verge • Oct. 27, 2021

Aman Homestay is run by Ranjana, who loves to swap life stories and express rueful exasperation at her ne’er do well husband.

From The Guardian • Dec. 23, 2017

“I was a ne’er do well part of my life,” he said.

From Washington Times • Apr. 18, 2015

Lleucu Siencyn, chief executive of Literature Wales, agrees the centenary is a chance to "right some wrongs" and to show that viewing Thomas as a "ne'er do well" misses the point.

From Reuters • Jun. 17, 2014

His father, on the contrary, was a jolly "ne'er do well," a butcher by trade, and not overburdened with industry.

From Great Fortunes, and How They Were Made by McCabe, James Dabney