layabout

noun

lay·​about ˈlā-ə-ˌbau̇t How to pronounce layabout (audio)
: a lazy shiftless person : idler

Examples of layabout in a Sentence

she regretted ever asking that layabout to be her roommate, as he created the mess of two people and refused to help with anything
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
But his Johnny is a sullen layabout, lacking in the punk rock energy that the role requires. Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 18 Oct. 2024 Movies For Subscribers The 27 best movie theaters in Los Angeles Nov. 22, 2023 Katie sees Rachel as little more than a useless layabout waiting to claim the apartment, even though Rachel had been the live-in caregiver before things turned. Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2024 Terry described Simon — the brother of his late wife —as a layabout who tried to make money by playing various lotteries all day. John Annese, New York Daily News, 21 Jan. 2024 The adventurous will find isolation on an epic scale on northern Iceland's windswept landscape, the traditional serenity on a private island off of Anguilla, and the bohemian layabouts a haven in a compound on the Andalusian coast. Cnt Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Feb. 2023 See all Example Sentences for layabout 

Word History

First Known Use

1932, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of layabout was in 1932

Dictionary Entries Near layabout

Cite this Entry

“Layabout.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/layabout. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

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