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ne'er-do-well

 - 3 dictionary results

ne'er-do-well

[nair-doo-wel]
–noun
1. an idle, worthless person; a person who is ineffectual, unsuccessful, or completely lacking in merit; good-for-nothing.
–adjective
2. worthless; ineffectual; good-for-nothing.

Origin:
1730–40


1. idler, loafer, wastrel.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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ne'er-do-well   (nâr'dōō-wěl')   
n.  An idle, irresponsible person.
ne'er'-do-well' adj.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

ne''er-do-well  (n.)
"one who is good for nothing," 1737, Scot. and northern Eng. dialect, from contraction of phrase never do well. The adj. is first recorded 1773.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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