DO-NOTHING

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does do-nothing mean? 

• DO-NOTHING (noun)
  The noun DO-NOTHING has 1 sense:

1. person who does no work

  Familiarity information: DO-NOTHING used as a noun is very rare.

• DO-NOTHING (adjective)
  The adjective DO-NOTHING has 1 sense:

1. characterized by inability or unwillingness to work toward a goal or assume responsibility

  Familiarity information: DO-NOTHING used as an adjective is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• DO-NOTHING (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Person who does no work

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Synonyms:

bum; do-nothing; idler; layabout; loafer

Context example:

a lazy bum

Hypernyms ("do-nothing" is a kind of...):

nonworker (a person who does nothing)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "do-nothing"):

clock watcher (a worker preoccupied with the arrival of quitting time)

couch potato (an idler who spends much time on a couch (usually watching television))

dallier; dilly-dallier; dillydallier; lounger; mope (someone who wastes time)

dawdler; drone; laggard; lagger; poke; trailer (someone who takes more time than necessary; someone who lags behind)

daydreamer; woolgatherer (someone who indulges in idle or absentminded daydreaming)

goldbrick; good-for-naught; good-for-nothing; goof-off; ne'er-do-well; no-account (an idle worthless person)

lazybones (a lazy person)

lie-abed; slugabed (a person who stays in bed until a relatively late hour)

loon (a worthless lazy fellow)

shirker; slacker (a person who shirks his work or duty (especially one who tries to evade military service in wartime))

slug; sluggard (an idle slothful person)

spiv (a person without employment who makes money by various dubious schemes; goes about smartly dressed and having a good time)

sunbather (someone who basks in the sunshine in order to get a suntan)

trifler (one who behaves lightly or not seriously)

whittler (someone who whittles (usually as an idle pastime))

Derivation:

do-nothing (characterized by inability or unwillingness to work toward a goal or assume responsibility)

• DO-NOTHING (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Characterized by inability or unwillingness to work toward a goal or assume responsibility

Context example:

a do-nothing government

Similar:

irresponsible (showing lack of care for consequences)

Derivation:

do-nothing (person who does no work)

 Context examples 

You have drawn two pretty pictures; but I think there may be a third—a something between the do-nothing and the do-all.

(Emma, by Jane Austen)