Standard Lemma guide

good-for-nothing

adj · noun · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

adj

Meaning 1

Useless; worthless.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: idiomatic, not-comparable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: bastardly, blown, cacky, chaffy, cocking, crapalicious, cruddy, cullionly, draffish, draffy, dreckish, drecky, duffing, floccinaucinihilipilificatious, for the birds, fucking, garbagey, good-for-naught, good-for-nothing, goodless, ineffectual, invaluable, jabberwocky, junky, mouldy, mucid, naughty, no-account, no good / no-good, nonvaluable, not worth a damn, not worth a dime, not worth a plug nickel, not worth a brass farthing, not worth a cent, not worth a cress, not worth a curse, not worth a Continental, not worth a farthing, not worth hell room, not worth a nickel, not worth a penny, not worth salt, not worth a whistle, nought, of no value, pissass, punk, putid, rubbishly, rubbishy, sixpenny, scabbed, screwy, scummy, shand, shit, shitey, shitstained, shitty-ass, sorry-ass, strawlike, suckworthy, tenth-rate, toshy, trinkety, triobolar, tripy, two-bit, unappreciated, unvaluable, vain, valueless, worthless, worth nothing, wutless

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A person of little worth or usefulness.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: absolute zero, cipher, ne'er-do-well, no-account, no-good, no-mark, nonentity, assbucket, asswipe, badling, blatherskite, bugger, carrion, cockstain, crumb, custron, dandiprat, doink, dirtbag, douchebag, drop kick, fellow, fritlag, fuckbucket, geek, good-for-naught, good-for-nothing, gooey, hoon, lidderon, losel, loser, louse, maggot, nobody, nonce, nought, nowmun, pelf, pig dog, pile of shit, pissant, punk, puny, quat, ramp, rinky-dink, roly-poly, scullion, shicer, shitheap, slubberdegullion, sparrow-fart, streak of piss, toerag, truant, twerp, wankstain, waste of space, underperson, unworthy, zero

Antonyms: none provided

3

adjective satellite

Meaning 3

without merit

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a sorry horse
  • a sorry excuse
  • a lazy no-count, good-for-nothing goldbrick
  • the car was a no-good piece of junk

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: good-for-naught, meritless, no-account, no-count, no-good, sorry

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

an idle worthless person

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: goldbrick, goof-off, ne'er-do-well, no-account, good-for-naught

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: idler, loafer, do-nothing, layabout, bum

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

180 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Azerbaijani: faydasız — useless, worthless
  • Azerbaijani: karsız — useless, worthless
  • Azerbaijani: yararsız — useless, worthless
  • Azerbaijani: bikara — useless, worthless
  • Belarusian: нікчэ́мны (nikčémny) — useless, worthless
  • Catalan: baliga-balaga — useless, worthless
  • Catalan: inútil — useless, worthless
  • Chinese Mandarin: 沒用 /没用 (méiyòng) — useless, worthless
  • Czech: budižkničemu — useless, worthless
  • Esperanto: sentaŭga — useless, worthless
  • Finnish: kelvoton — useless, worthless
  • French: bon à rien — useless, worthless
  • German: nutzlos — useless, worthless
  • German: unbrauchbar — useless, worthless
  • German: untauglich — useless, worthless
  • German: unnütz — useless, worthless
  • Hindi: काम का न काज का दुश्मन अनाज का (kām kā na kāj kā duśman anāj kā) — useless, worthless
  • Hungarian: haszontalan — useless, worthless
  • Hungarian: hasznavehetetlen — useless, worthless
  • Irish: fágtha — useless, worthless
  • Italian: fannullone — useless, worthless
  • Italian: buono a nulla — useless, worthless
  • Italian: pigro — useless, worthless
  • Italian: sfaccendato — useless, worthless
  • Italian: indolente — useless, worthless
  • Italian: sfaticato — useless, worthless
  • Japanese: つまらない (tsumaranai) — useless, worthless
  • Japanese: 碌でなし (rokudenashi) — useless, worthless
  • Korean: 쓸모없다 (sseulmo'eopda) — useless, worthless
  • Korean: 소용없다 (soyong'eopda) — useless, worthless
  • Korean: 녹녹하다 (nongnokhada) — useless, worthless
  • Korean: 거지같다 (geojigatda) — useless, worthless
  • Korean: 지질하다 (jijilhada) — useless, worthless
  • Korean: 보잘것없다 (bojalgeodeopda) — useless, worthless
  • Latin: nēquam — useless, worthless
  • Māori: kūrapa — useless, worthless
  • Māori: hakihakiā — useless, worthless
  • Māori: koretake — useless, worthless
  • Occitan: paucval — useless, worthless
  • Occitan: vauarren — useless, worthless
  • Occitan: paucvau — useless, worthless
  • Occitan: vaupòc — useless, worthless
  • Occitan: galapian (Auvergnat) — useless, worthless
  • Occitan: sacramand — useless, worthless
  • Occitan: sacamand — useless, worthless
  • Polish: bezużyteczny — useless, worthless
  • Portuguese: imprestável — useless, worthless
  • Portuguese: inútil — useless, worthless
  • Portuguese: zero à esquerda — useless, worthless
  • Russian: никчёмный (nikčómnyj) — useless, worthless
  • Russian: никуды́шный (nikudýšnyj) — useless, worthless
  • Sardinian: inghiriagràstos — useless, worthless
  • Sardinian: carreràgiu — useless, worthless
  • Sardinian: carreràju — useless, worthless
  • Sardinian: irvaliendhàdu — useless, worthless
  • Sardinian: peldulàriu — useless, worthless
  • Sardinian: pirastràju — useless, worthless
  • Spanish: inútil — useless, worthless
  • Spanish: bueno para nada — useless, worthless
  • Spanish: tarambana — useless, worthless
  • Swedish: oduglig — useless, worthless
  • Turkish: yaramaz — useless, worthless
  • Ukrainian: нікче́мний (nikčémnyj) — useless, worthless
  • Ukrainian: нікуди́шній (nikudýšnij) — useless, worthless
  • Azerbaijani: bivec — person of little worth or usefulness
  • Azerbaijani: dılğır — person of little worth or usefulness
  • Azerbaijani: yaramaz — person of little worth or usefulness
  • Bambara: denbo — person of little worth or usefulness
  • Burmese: ချေးထုပ် (hkye:htup) — person of little worth or usefulness
  • Catalan: negat — person of little worth or usefulness
  • Catalan: inútil — person of little worth or usefulness
  • Chinese Mandarin: 一無是處 /一无是处 (yīwúshìchù) — person of little worth or usefulness
  • Chinese Mandarin: 不稂不莠 (bùlángbùyǒu) — person of little worth or usefulness
  • Chinese Mandarin: 窩囊 /窝囊 (wōnang) — person of little worth or usefulness
  • Chinese Mandarin: 沒出息 /没出息 (méi chūxi) — person of little worth or usefulness
  • Chinese Mandarin: 玩兒鬧 /玩儿闹 (wánrnào) — person of little worth or usefulness
  • Chinese Mandarin: 不是東西 /不是东西 (bù shì dōngxi) — person of little worth or usefulness
  • Czech: budižkničemu — person of little worth or usefulness
  • Dutch: nietsnut — person of little worth or usefulness
  • Esperanto: sentaŭgulo — person of little worth or usefulness
  • Finnish: nolla — person of little worth or usefulness
  • Finnish: hulttio — person of little worth or usefulness
  • Finnish: hanttapuli — person of little worth or usefulness
  • Finnish: vätys — person of little worth or usefulness
  • Finnish: tyhjäntoimittaja — person of little worth or usefulness
  • French: bon à rien — person of little worth or usefulness
  • French: vaurien — person of little worth or usefulness
  • French: nullard — person of little worth or usefulness
  • Georgian: უვარგისი (uvargisi) — person of little worth or usefulness
  • German: Taugenichts — person of little worth or usefulness
  • German: Nichtsnutz — person of little worth or usefulness
  • German: Krattler — person of little worth or usefulness
  • German: Tunichtgut — person of little worth or usefulness
  • Greek: χαραμοφάης (charamofáis) — person of little worth or usefulness
  • Ancient Greek: μαστιγίας (mastigías) — person of little worth or usefulness
  • Haitian Creole: voryen — person of little worth or usefulness
  • Hebrew: לא יוצלח (Lo Yuts'lahh) — person of little worth or usefulness
  • Hebrew: חסר תועלת (chasar thoeleth) — person of little worth or usefulness
  • Hungarian: semmirekellő — person of little worth or usefulness
  • Hungarian: haszontalan — person of little worth or usefulness
  • Hungarian: mihaszna — person of little worth or usefulness
  • Hungarian: jómadár — person of little worth or usefulness
  • Hungarian: díszpinty — person of little worth or usefulness
  • Hungarian: léhűtő — person of little worth or usefulness
  • Hungarian: naplopó — person of little worth or usefulness
  • Icelandic: ónytjungur — person of little worth or usefulness
  • Icelandic: dugleysingi — person of little worth or usefulness
  • Indonesian: (orang) brengsek — person of little worth or usefulness
  • Indonesian: sampah — person of little worth or usefulness
  • Interlingua: inutile — person of little worth or usefulness
  • Irish: cúl-le-rath — person of little worth or usefulness
  • Italian: inutile — person of little worth or usefulness
  • Italian: buono a nulla — person of little worth or usefulness
  • Japanese: 碌でなし (rokudenashi) — person of little worth or usefulness
  • Japanese: 仕様の無い (shiyō-no nai) — person of little worth or usefulness
  • Japanese: 下らない (kudaranai) — person of little worth or usefulness
  • Korean: 건달 (geondal) — person of little worth or usefulness
  • Korean: 밥벌레 (bapbeolle) — person of little worth or usefulness
  • Korean: 노녀와기 (nonyeowagi) — person of little worth or usefulness
  • Korean: 놀거리 (nolgeori) — person of little worth or usefulness
  • Korean: 건다리 (geondari) — person of little worth or usefulness
  • Korean: 밥벌거지 (bapbeolgeoji) — person of little worth or usefulness
  • Korean: 밥벌기 (bapbeolgi) — person of little worth or usefulness
  • Korean: 밥장군 (bapjanggun) — person of little worth or usefulness
  • Latin: nebulō — person of little worth or usefulness
  • Latin: scurra — person of little worth or usefulness
  • Macedonian: па́цер (pácer) — person of little worth or usefulness
  • Macedonian: беско́рисен (beskórisen) — person of little worth or usefulness
  • Macedonian: бараба (baraba) — person of little worth or usefulness
  • Macedonian: битанга (bitanga) — person of little worth or usefulness
  • Māori: kūrapa — person of little worth or usefulness
  • Norwegian Bokmål: døgenikt — person of little worth or usefulness
  • Norwegian Bokmål: drog — person of little worth or usefulness
  • Occitan: emplastre — person of little worth or usefulness
  • Plautdietsch: Daugeniks — person of little worth or usefulness
  • Polish: nicpoń — person of little worth or usefulness
  • Polish: ladaco — person of little worth or usefulness
  • Portuguese: inútil — person of little worth or usefulness
  • Portuguese: imprestável — person of little worth or usefulness
  • Portuguese: zero à esquerda — person of little worth or usefulness
  • Russian: никчёмный (nikčómnyj) — person of little worth or usefulness
  • Russian: бесполе́зный (bespoléznyj) — person of little worth or usefulness
  • Russian: никуды́шный (nikudýšnyj) — person of little worth or usefulness
  • Russian: безде́льник (bezdélʹnik) — person of little worth or usefulness
  • Serbo-Croatian: ништа̀рија — person of little worth or usefulness
  • Serbo-Croatian: нишко̀рӣсти — person of little worth or usefulness
  • Serbo-Croatian: про̀бисвије̄т — person of little worth or usefulness
  • Serbo-Croatian: бѝта̄нга — person of little worth or usefulness
  • Serbo-Croatian: згу̀бида̄н — person of little worth or usefulness
  • Serbo-Croatian: кло̀ша̄р — person of little worth or usefulness
  • Serbo-Croatian: љенчарија — person of little worth or usefulness
  • Serbo-Croatian: ništàrija — person of little worth or usefulness
  • Serbo-Croatian: niškòrīsti — person of little worth or usefulness
  • Serbo-Croatian: pròbisvijēt — person of little worth or usefulness
  • Serbo-Croatian: bìtānga — person of little worth or usefulness
  • Serbo-Croatian: zgùbidān — person of little worth or usefulness
  • Serbo-Croatian: klòšār — person of little worth or usefulness
  • Serbo-Croatian: ljenčarija — person of little worth or usefulness
  • Spanish: inútil — person of little worth or usefulness
  • Spanish: bueno para nada — person of little worth or usefulness
  • Spanish: cero a la izquierda — person of little worth or usefulness
  • Spanish: donnadie — person of little worth or usefulness
  • Spanish: mindundi — person of little worth or usefulness
  • Spanish: pelagatos — person of little worth or usefulness
  • Spanish: perdulario — person of little worth or usefulness
  • Spanish: pintamonas — person of little worth or usefulness
  • Spanish: pelgar — person of little worth or usefulness
  • Spanish: pelafustán — person of little worth or usefulness
  • Swedish: odugling — person of little worth or usefulness
  • Swedish: slashas — person of little worth or usefulness
  • Swedish: odåga — person of little worth or usefulness
  • Swedish: drönare — person of little worth or usefulness
  • Swedish: nolla — person of little worth or usefulness
  • Swedish: klantskalle — person of little worth or usefulness
  • Thai: คนคุ้มค่าน้อย — person of little worth or usefulness
  • Thai: คนไม่มีประโยชน์ — person of little worth or usefulness
  • Thai: คนไร้ประโยชน์ — person of little worth or usefulness
  • Walloon: rénnvåt — person of little worth or usefulness
  • Walloon: vårén — person of little worth or usefulness
  • Welsh: oferwr — person of little worth or usefulness