good-for-nothing

adjective

good-for-noth·​ing ˈgu̇d-fər-ˌnə-thiŋ How to pronounce good-for-nothing (audio)
: of no use or value
good-for-nothing noun

Examples of good-for-nothing in a Sentence

refused to leave anything in his will to his good-for-nothing grandchildren
Recent Examples on the Web The black comedy crime film is written by Niki Sheldrake and tells the story of Colin and Stanley, two good-for-nothing brothers who are faced with the repayment of their dead father’s debt to a notorious loan shark named Maggie. Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 8 May 2024 Yet later this year up to 40 healthy Australian volunteers may begin receiving infusions of the supposedly good-for-nothing molecule. Bymitch Leslie, science.org, 8 June 2023 In the film, directed by Taika Waititi, Hela comes back to Asgard seeking revenge and looking to kick everybody's ass, starting with her good-for-nothing brothers Loki (Tom Hiddleston) and Thor (Hemsworth). Lester Fabian Brathwaite, EW.com, 16 Mar. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'good-for-nothing.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1533, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of good-for-nothing was in 1533

Dictionary Entries Near good-for-nothing

Cite this Entry

“Good-for-nothing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/good-for-nothing. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

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