schlimazel

American  

[shli-mah-zuhl] / ʃlɪˈmɑ zəl /

Sometimes schlimazl, or shlimazel

noun

Slang.

1. an inept, bungling person who suffers from unremitting bad luck.

   That poor schlimazel failed the driver's test for the fourth time—if he's lucky enough to ever get his license, his car will probably die.

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Etymology

Origin of schlimazel

First recorded in 1945–50; from Yiddish, from shlim “bad, evil” (compare German schlimm “bad, evil, wrong”) + mazl “luck” (from Hebrew mazzāl “constellation, destiny, luck”; see mazel tov ( def. ))

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

schlimazel

There is an old Yiddish joke: the schlemiel spills the soup; the schlimazel is the person it lands on.

From Salon ● Sep. 23, 2026

In Yiddish, is he a schlemiel or a a schlimazel, eh?

From New York Times ● Dec. 18, 2017

Herzog is a comic figure, a holy fool, a schlimazel with a Ph.D.

From The New Yorker ● May 4, 2015

Anyone defining schlemiel and schlimazel should consult a Yiddish lexicon or A New Leaf.

From Time Magazine Archive

Traditionally, a schlemiel is a person who spills the soup; a schlimazel is the one on whom he spills it.

From Time Magazine Archive

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