nogoodnik

In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.

Meaning · English

A ne'er-do-well; a person who is no good.

Register: derogatory, slang

Where it’s used: Used American English

Examples

Then at the last minute Harris was brought aboard as Dr. Zachary Smith, initially an authentic, lip-curling nogoodnik who, it was presently discovered, could be better used for laughs played off Mumy and a sober-sided robot (“You bubbleheaded booby,” sneers Harris. “That does not compute,” returns t

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “nogoodnik” mean?

A ne'er-do-well; a person who is no good.

Is “nogoodnik” formal or informal?

nogoodnik is generally derogatory, slang.