ENGLISH DICTIONARY

Deadbeat

Definition, Meaning & Examples

Pronunciation /ˈdɛdbiːt/ · Part of speech noun

Quick meaning: Deadbeat is a noun meaning A person who defaults on debts.

Meaning

A person who defaults on debts.

More Meanings

  1. (of an instrument) Having a damped needle that stops without oscillation.
  2. Defaulting on one's debts.
  3. Defeated or exhausted.
  4. (derogatory) Lazy or irresponsible.
  5. Dead tired.
  6. (derogatory) A lazy or irresponsible person who is often unemployed, often depending upon wealthy or otherwise financially independent people for support.

Example Sentences

2016 Eric Andrew-Gee Why and how Ontarians change their names in the 21st century The Globe and Mail With a few exceptions, all those changes were published in the Ontario Gazette, a little-read compendium of government business that comes out every week. The province requires this by law, as do most Canadian jurisdictions, nominally to thwart fraudsters and deadbeats.

Word Forms

Synonyms for deadbeat

Depending on context, synonyms include idler, shirker, welcher, defaulter.

Related Words

Related dictionary entries include defaulter, parasite, treacherous, shirker, loser, disgrace.

Related Dictionary Tools

Sources & Attribution

FreeDictionaryAPI.com / Wiktionary · Original source · CC BY-SA 4.0

Dictionary data is provided by FreeDictionaryAPI.com and sourced from Wiktionary under its stated license.