Term: slacker
slacker (noun): a person who avoids work or effort; someone who is lazy or lacks focus and avoids their responsibilities.
synonyms: idler, loafer, shirker, layabout.
pronunciation: /ˈslækə/
translation: dīkdienis, sliņķis, “slaists”
example: The rest of the team had to work late because one slacker didn’t finish his part of the project on time.
other words from this root: slack (verb/adjective), slacking (verb/gerund), slackness (noun).
Contextual Usage
- Work/School: Used to describe someone who doesn’t do their fair share of the work.
- Informal: Often used in a judgmental way to describe a person with no ambition.
- Pop Culture: In the 1990s, the “slacker” was a common archetype—usually a young person who rejected corporate culture and preferred a relaxed lifestyle.
Related Phrasal Verb
- To slack off: To work with less effort than is usual or expected. (“He’s been slacking off since he found out he’s leaving the company.”)
Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary
slacker (noun)1.
a person who shirks work or obligation , especially one who evades military service in time of war
2.
a person and especially a young person who is perceived to be disaffected, apathetic, cynical, or lacking ambition
Merriam-Webster Online Thesaurus
slacker (noun)1.
one who deliberately avoids work or duty
SYNONYMS:
goldbrick, shirkerRELATED WORDS:
malingerer; dropout, quitter; drone, idler, lazybones, loafer, slouch, slug, slugabed, sluggard; dallier, lingerer, loiterer, lounger, saunterer; dawdler, laggard, putterer, slowpokeNEAR ANTONYMS:
live wire, pistol, powerhouse; doer, go-getter, hummer, hustler, rustler, self-starter2.
an idle worthless person
SYNONYMS:
bum, derelict, do-nothing, good-for-nothing, no-account, no-good, no-goodnik, slacker, vagrantRELATED WORDS:
hobo, sundowner [], tramp, vagabond; drifter, roamer, transient; beggar, panhandler; dodger, goldbrick, shirker; gamine, ragamuffin, urchin, waif; drone, idler, lazybones, loafer, slouch, slug, sluggard; down-and-out ( down-and-outer), indigent, pauperNEAR ANTONYMS:
success, winner