SKIP TO CONTENT

deadbeat

/ˌdɛdˈbit/
/ˈdɛdbit/
IPA guide

Other forms: deadbeats

A deadbeat is someone who owes money or has other financial obligations and doesn't meet them. Deadbeats don't pay their bills.

This is an insult that is very specific: deadbeats don't pay what they owe. If someone went to a restaurant and didn't pay, the manager might say "You deadbeat!" If you don't pay a cable or phone bill, you're a deadbeat. A roommate who doesn't pay their share of the rent is a deadbeat. People often talk about deadbeat dads who abandon their children and don't pay child support. A more formal word for a deadbeat is defaulter.

Definitions of deadbeat
  1. noun
    someone who fails to meet a financial obligation
    synonyms: defaulter
    see moresee less
    types:
    deadbeat dad
    a father who willfully defaults on his obligation to provide financial support for his offspring
    type of:
    debitor, debtor
    a person who owes a creditor; someone who has the obligation of paying a debt
Cite this entry
Style:
MLA
  • MLA
  • APA
  • Chicago

Copy citation
DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘deadbeat'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors. Send us feedback
Word Family