1
as in slug
a lazy person
the new boss quickly figured out who the do-nothings were and fired them
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in bum
an idle worthless person
he indiscriminately dismisses the state legislators as a bunch of do-nothings who live at the taxpayers' expense
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of do-nothing
Many of these new candidates will be ordinary citizens who are fed up with the feckless and do-nothing politics of the Democratic establishment.
—
Jay Caspian Kang, The New Yorker, 28 Feb. 2025
Christy Merrick, Lauderdale-by-the-Sea Siri needs a facelift Apple has apparently been riding the do-nothing train for 14 years.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 5 Feb. 2025
Then in the span of two touchdown drives, sandwiched around a do-nothing offensive possession, four defensive penalties crippled Denver’s defense.
—Parker Gabriel, The Denver Post, 19 Dec. 2024
The Senate brought up a border bill over the last week, but the opposition killed it.
Democrats and Republicans are pointing fingers at each other and accusing each other of being do-nothings.
—David Plazas, The Tennessean, 28 May 2024
This count alleges a multipronged bribery conspiracy to help ComEd pass important legislation in exchange for hiring at least five Madigan associates as do-nothing consultants, paying a total of $1.3 million over nearly eight years of the conspiracy.
—Megan Crepeau, Chicago Tribune, 7 Oct. 2024
But like a do-nothing getaway undone by a lack of basic planning, the series puts too much trust in its pretty surroundings and equally handsome cast to carry the trip.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 2024
However, if Harris appoints a qualified moderate such as Gov. Andy Beshear of Kentucky, opposition Republicans will pay a political price by validating the narrative of a do-nothing Republican Congress intent only on obstruction.
—Allan J. Lichtman, New York Daily News, 19 July 2024
The outside view largely is of a do-nothing summer by the Miami Heat, with 11 players returning from the roster that recorded just one playoff win last season.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 15 July 2024
Jay Caspian Kang, The New Yorker, 28 Feb. 2025
Christy Merrick, Lauderdale-by-the-Sea Siri needs a facelift Apple has apparently been riding the do-nothing train for 14 years.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 5 Feb. 2025
Then in the span of two touchdown drives, sandwiched around a do-nothing offensive possession, four defensive penalties crippled Denver’s defense.
—Parker Gabriel, The Denver Post, 19 Dec. 2024
The Senate brought up a border bill over the last week, but the opposition killed it.
Democrats and Republicans are pointing fingers at each other and accusing each other of being do-nothings.
—David Plazas, The Tennessean, 28 May 2024
This count alleges a multipronged bribery conspiracy to help ComEd pass important legislation in exchange for hiring at least five Madigan associates as do-nothing consultants, paying a total of $1.3 million over nearly eight years of the conspiracy.
—Megan Crepeau, Chicago Tribune, 7 Oct. 2024
But like a do-nothing getaway undone by a lack of basic planning, the series puts too much trust in its pretty surroundings and equally handsome cast to carry the trip.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 2024
However, if Harris appoints a qualified moderate such as Gov. Andy Beshear of Kentucky, opposition Republicans will pay a political price by validating the narrative of a do-nothing Republican Congress intent only on obstruction.
—Allan J. Lichtman, New York Daily News, 19 July 2024
The outside view largely is of a do-nothing summer by the Miami Heat, with 11 players returning from the roster that recorded just one playoff win last season.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 15 July 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for do-nothing
Noun
-
Here’s how to keep slugs from destroying your garden.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
25 Feb. 2025
-
The infection can come from a few sources: raw or undercooked snails or slugs, vegetables or fruit that have been contaminated by snails, slugs or flatworms or their slime, or by eating infected hosts like land crabs, freshwater prawns or frogs, doctors said.—
Irene Wright,
Miami Herald,
21 Feb. 2025
Noun
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This was all done with a bum wrist, which posed as an inconvenience to him at times.—
Hannah Kirby,
Journal Sentinel,
4 Aug. 2024
-
Tommy, left to prosecute the case against Rusty, has inherited a bum gig.—
Vinson Cunningham,
The New Yorker,
26 July 2024
Noun
-
The Russian and Ukrainian armies are pressed up against each other, and constantly exchanging drone and artillery fire.—
Keith Gessen,
The New Yorker,
26 Feb. 2025
-
The intensive Ukrainian jamming has also grounded many of Russia’s drones, compelling desperate Russian operators to switch to pricier fiber-optic drones that send and receive signals via long thin cables instead of via radio.—
David Axe,
Forbes,
26 Feb. 2025
Noun
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However, if they’re all gone, recolonization is unlikely given snails’ limited ability to travel.—
Anton Sorokin,
Smithsonian Magazine,
5 Feb. 2025
-
But these underwater snails were nearly wiped out by fishing and disease, and in the 1990s, regulators closed the commercial abalone fishery.—
Grant Stringer,
The Mercury News,
3 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
The Season 4, Part 1 finale contains one whopper of a revelation: JJ’s deadbeat father, Luke, isn’t his real dad.—
Kimberly Roots,
TVLine,
11 Oct. 2024
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After a strange meteor crash lands in his backyard and turns his deadbeat father into a brain-eating zombie, Bucky and his friends seize the opportunity to create the ultimate horror flick, starring his undead dad.—
Patrick Frater,
Variety,
13 Sep. 2024
Noun
-
The beggars, widows, and families with sick relatives who once made a pilgrimage to the gates of the parliament building in the Green Zone to beg lawmakers for help are now barred from entry.—
Ned Parker,
Foreign Affairs,
12 Feb. 2012
-
All the beggars at the intersection of Lee Road and the off-ramp of I-4 are completely out of hand.—
Ticked Off,
Orlando Sentinel,
18 July 2024
Noun
-
Extra hooks allow the bag to transform into a trapezoidal hobo shape.—
Joelle Diderich,
WWD,
19 Sep. 2024
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There’s a lot to love about Coach’s viral shoulder bag: the modern hobo style, the soft leather, the distinct shape.—
Lindy Segal,
Glamour,
13 Sep. 2024
Noun
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However, rumors that the derelict mansion in the video was Jordan’s have since been debunked.—
Megan Johnson,
Architectural Digest,
19 Sep. 2024
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Maine’s housing stock skews old, with high rates of derelict and seasonally vacant properties.—
Donovan Lynch,
NBC News,
4 Aug. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Do-nothing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/do-nothing. Accessed 8 Mar. 2025.
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