ne'er-do-well

短语

n. 无用的人, 懒汉 a. 无用的, 无价值的

发音

UK /ˈnɛə.duˌwɛl/
US /ˈnɛɹ.duˌwɛl/

词形变化

ne'er-do-wells 复数 ne'er-do-wells more ne'er-do-well 比较级 most ne'er-do-well 最高级

别名

never-do-well

释义与例句

n.
  1. 1.

    A person without a means of support; an idle, worthless person; a loafer; a person who is ineffectual, unsuccessful, or completely lacking in merit; a good-for-nothing.

  2. 2.

    A person who is up to no good; a rogue.

adj.
  1. 1.

    Showing the characteristics of a ne'er-do-well: indolent, worthless, or roguish.

词汇关系

名词

同义词 4

good-for-nothing goldbrick good-for-naught goof-off

上位词 5

bum loafer layabout do-nothing idler

词源

From the phrase never do well. "Ne'er-do-well" is a contracted compound word stemming from the combination of the words "never do well." “Never-do-well” is sometimes used as an offhand, expanded version of the phrase, where “never” is not contracted. The usage of this version is often attributed to the northeastern United States.

来源：wiktionary