† ne'er-do-wellishadj.n.
Obsolete. rare.
= ne'er-do-well adj. In quot. 1890 as n. with the: worthless, disreputable people as a class.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > goodness and badness > inferiority or baseness > worthlessness > [adjective]
forcouthc888
goodlesseOE
undoughtya1225
voidc1380
bare1399
stark naught1528
worthilessa1542
queer1567
worthless1573
hilding1577
baggage1580
arrant1581
offal1588
lorel1590
losel1601
ragamuffin1602
loselled1606
loselly1611
valuelessa1616
ragamuffa1626
good-for-nothing1706
ne'er-do-well1773
rotten1813
neat1824
scamping1832
good-for-naught1835
no good1838
scampish1847
ne'er-do-wellish1890
no good1904
upter1919
never-do-well1933
society > morality > moral evil > evil nature or character > lack of magnanimity or noble-mindedness > [adjective] > worthless
forcouthc888
worthless1576
hilding1577
baggage1580
lorel1590
losel1601
ragamuffin1602
loselled1606
loselly1611
offala1626
ragamuffa1626
vagabond1630
good-for-nought1663
good-for-nothing1706
ne'er-do-well1773
ragabash1818
neat1824
scamping1832
scampish1847
wutless1853
trashy1862
ne'er-do-wellish1890
suck-egg1892
never-do-well1933
punk-ass1971
1890 J. Middlemass Two False Moves I. xiii. 199 Only the rowdyish and ne'er-do-weelish.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2003; most recently modified version published online December 2020).
<
adj.n.1890