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ne'er-do-well

/ˈnɛə.duˌwɛl/
noun
  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. A person who is up to no good; a rogue.

Synonymsgood-for-nothing, nogoodnik, vagabond

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ne'er-do-well — meaning, definition & examples | WordNote | WordNote