Meaning & use
wasteman
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Meaning
nouncountableslangBritishoffensivedisapproving
In British slang, a rude term for a man seen as useless, lazy, or lacking ambition.
Grammar: Counted noun: a wasteman, those wastemen; mostly said about someone.
Patterns
- call someone a wasteman
- act like a wasteman
Teenagers use the word wasteman to mock someone who never does anything.
The singer's lyrics describe a wasteman who owes money to everyone.
Calling a person a wasteman is an insult and can start an argument.
Word forms
| plural | wastemen |
|---|
Common combinations
- call someone a wasteman
- He got upset when they called him a wasteman.
- act like a wasteman
- Stop acting like a wasteman and help us.
- absolute wasteman
- The song describes an absolute wasteman.
- such a wasteman
- She said he was such a wasteman for cancelling again.
Synonyms and how they differ
- loser
- Loser is a general insult that is not tied to British slang, while wasteman suggests laziness and uselessness.
- layabout
- Layabout is milder and old-fashioned, whereas wasteman is a sharper slang insult.
- slacker
- Slacker means someone who avoids work, but wasteman is harsher and broader.
- good-for-nothing
- Good-for-nothing is old-fashioned and slightly humorous, while wasteman is current slang.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: wasteman or waster?
wasteman vs waster
A waster wastes time or resources, whereas wasteman is a stronger insult for a useless man.
Practice
Which describes the word wasteman?
Choose one answer.
Wasteman is slang for a lazy or useless man and is insulting. It is not polite or technical.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “wasteman”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.