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slacker

/ˈslækər/
/ˈslækə/
IPA guide

Other forms: slackers

A slacker is someone who can't be relied on to do a job or finish a project. If you're looking for the slacker in your family, you'll probably find him on the couch.

Nobody wants a slacker on their soccer team. Slackers avoid effort of any kind, putting work off or getting someone else to do it for them. While slacker is commonly thought of as a word from the 1990s — there was even a movie called Slackers made in 1991 — it's actually been around since at least the late 1800s. In the early 20th century, Sudanese workers protested their lack of voice and power by slacking, or working very slowly.

Definitions of slacker
  1. noun
    a person who shirks his work or duty (especially one who tries to evade military service in wartime)
    synonyms: shirker
    see moresee less
    types:
    goldbrick
    a soldier who performs his duties without proper care or effort
    malingerer, shammer, skulker
    someone shirking their duty by feigning illness or incapacity
    scrimshanker
    a shirker
    type of:
    bum, do-nothing, idler, layabout, loafer
    person who does no work
Pronunciation
US
/ˈslækər/
UK
/ˈslækə/
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DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘slacker'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors. Send us feedback
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