schlemiel
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Sense 1
Meaning · English
A loser or a fool.
Register: slang
Where it’s used:
Used
American English
Examples
On Jewish Heritage Day, there was ample time to debate whether the Mets are schlemiels or schlimazels with the home team down 8-1 after five. Fans were given shirts that read “Let’s Go Mets” in Hebrew, but “Oy vey!” was more appropriate.
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).
Sense 2
Meaning · English
A person who is clumsy or who hurts others emotionally.
Register: slang
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Common questions
What does “schlemiel” mean?
A loser or a fool.
Is “schlemiel” formal or informal?
schlemiel is generally slang.