Kirk Anthony - the Ne're-Do-Well
Search results
Ne'er-do-well" is a derogatory term for a good-for-nothing person; or a rogue, vagrant or vagabond without means of support. It is a contraction of the phrase never-do-well. Colonial context. The term ne'er-do-well was used in the nineteenth-century Australasian colonies to denote young British and Irish men seen as undesirable. These men were ...
The meaning of NE'ER-DO-WELL is an idle worthless person. How to use ne'er-do-well in a sentence.
NE'ER-DO-WELL definition: 1. someone who is lazy or not willing to act in a responsible way 2. someone who is lazy or not…. Learn more.
A worthless, good for nothing person. What's the origin of the phrase 'Ne'er do well'? The term ‘ne’er do well’ is of course a contraction of ‘never do well’. Ne’er has been used in that shortened form since the 13th century, notably in the North of England and in Scotland.
- Etymology
- Pronunciation
- Noun
- Adjective
(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.) "Ne'er-do-well" is a contracted compound word stemming from the combination of the words "never do well." “Never-do-well” is sometimes used as an offhand, expanded version of the phrase, where “never” is not contracted. The usage of this version...
(Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈnɛə.duˌwɛl/(General American) IPA(key): /ˈnɛɹ.duˌwɛl/ne'er-do-well (plural ne'er-do-wells) 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. 1.1. 1933, The Commonweal, volume 19, page 241: 1.1.1. So they have trooped forth to organize village down-and-outs and ne'er-do-wellsinto w...
ne'er-do-well (comparative more ne'er-do-well, superlative most ne'er-do-well) 1. Showing the characteristics of a ne'er-do-well: indolent, worthless, or roguish. 1.1. 1859, George Sargent, The Story of a Pocket Bible, The Religious Tract Society, page 392: 1.1.1. The brother who sought me out and would have redeemed me from the power of darkness, ...
The earliest known use of the word ne'er-do-well is in the mid 1700s. OED's earliest evidence for ne'er-do-well is from 1737, in the writing of Allan Ramsay, poet.
Ne'er-do-well definition: an idle, worthless person; a person who is ineffectual, unsuccessful, or completely lacking in merit; good-for-nothing.. See examples of NE'ER-DO-WELL used in a sentence.
