schlemiel

American  

[shluh-meel] / ʃləˈmil /

Or schlemihl,

noun

Slang.

1. an awkward and unlucky person for whom things never turn out right.

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schlemiel British  

/ ʃləˈmiːl /

noun

1. slang an awkward or unlucky person whose endeavours usually fail

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Etymology

Origin of schlemiel

1890–95; < Yiddish shlemil < Hebrew shəlumīʾēl Shelumiel, a Biblical and Talmudic figure

Explanation

A schlemiel is a somewhat dopey, awkward person. You might angrily call your brother a schlemiel after he drops the cake you've spent all day making, stumbles, and sits on it. Nothing every goes quite right for a schlemiel — he's the guy who never seems to get any good luck, and who's less than brilliant and not particularly graceful. A schlemiel in a movie is an object of fun, perfect for laughing at. In real life, it's pretty hard to be a schlemiel. The word schlemiel means "bungler" in Yiddish, from a character called Peter Schlemihl in a classic German fable.

Example Sentences

In some regards this narrator, a husband and father, is Mr. Lerner’s most mature alter ego, but he often seems like the same schlemiel as the feckless grad student in “Leaving the Atocha Station.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026

Played by Noah Segan, the film’s writer-director, Francis is Jewish and speaks Yiddish; sometimes schlep and schlemiel just make his points better.

From New York Times • Dec. 9, 2022

As Costanza, Mr. Stiller was perpetually struggling to control his temper, blood pressure and contempt for his son, George, a balding schlemiel played by Jason Alexander.

From Washington Post • May 11, 2020

I know the difference between a schmuck and a schlemiel.

From The Guardian • May 4, 2018

He shoved me back, and like an utter schlemiel, I tripped over a branch and planted my butt in a shallow puddle.

From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros