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lowlife

lowlife

63 7.7
A person who is dishonest or breaks the law
  • noun
  • /ˈloʊˌlaɪf/
  • Offensive
: escoria
  • In the Rockaways, lowlifes were sneaking into clothing stores and cleaning out pizzerias.
  • lowlifes and criminals
  • thugs and lowlifes
  • lowlife scum

DA Graham gives lowlife criminal life in prison.

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Examples

  • The police arrested several lowlifes who were involved in a series of burglaries.

  • "I wouldn't call him the biggest lowlife in town," Linda went on.

    Fiction book (2000)
  • So what kind of lowlife shows up after a couple of months to mouth off?

    Blog text (29)
  • I'm tired of this lowlife!

  • I want you to get the word out to every street hustler, to every lowlife in this town.

  • Don't tell me those lowlifes have been calling again.

  • I can't come up with words to adequately describe what a lowlife she is.

    Blog text (14)
  • The internet is full of sad, lowlife individuals who use cyberbullying to feel better about their lousy selves.

    Blog text (20)
  • He's a lowlife.

  • And about how the men in her mom's life were all the same: alcoholics and lowlifes.

    Fiction book (2000)

Synonyms

scumbag
vslowlife
  • Offensive
162 9.5

A person who treats other people very badly and unfairly

is the neutral concept for moral badness rather than insult tone
bad person
vslowlife
  • Offensive
154 1.6

A person who harms others on purpose or does wrong things

is more general, covering disreputable or criminal behaviour too
scoundrel
vslowlife
  • Offensive
47 6.5

A person who behaves dishonestly and hurts others by lying or stealing

is the wider term for moral badness, not just dishonesty
skunk
vslowlife
  • Offensive
35 8.1

A person who behaves badly and cannot be trusted

is the clinical description of moral badness and disrepute
dirtbag
vslowlife
  • Offensive
35 8.2

An unpleasant person who lies or treats others badly

is the general concept for moral badness and disrepute
miscreant
vslowlife
  • Offensive
23 8.4

A person who does bad things or breaks the law

is a broader label for moral badness, not only lawbreaking
puke
vslowlife
  • Offensive
15 9.9

A person you strongly dislike and think is bad

is the general sense of moral badness rather than sheer contempt
stinker
vslowlife
  • Offensive
14 7.2

A person who is mean or dishonest

is the more serious description of moral badness or disrepute
git
vslowlife
  • Offensive
10 9.9

A rude person who treats others badly

is the general label for moral badness beyond regional insult tone
sleazebag
vslowlife
  • Offensive
10 8.2

A person who is dishonest and treats others badly

covers that immorality but also implies possible criminal conduct
dirty dog
vslowlife
  • Offensive
9 8.0

A person who behaves badly or cheats others

is more serious, describing moral badness or criminal involvement
rotter
vslowlife
  • Offensive
7 8.9

A person who treats others very badly

is the overall term for moral badness, not merely blunt insult
scum bag
vslowlife
  • Offensive
6 8.9

A very bad person who treats other people cruelly

is a descriptive term for moral badness, not just an insult
sleazeball
vslowlife
  • Offensive
6 8.2

A person who is dishonest and treats others badly

includes those traits but also points to disrepute or crime
crumb
vslowlife
  • Offensive
6 9.2

A person who is mean and cannot be trusted

is the formal description of being morally bad or disreputable
stinkpot
vslowlife
  • Offensive
2 9.9

A rude word for a person people strongly dislike

is the neutral category for moral badness, not just emotional insult
trashman
vslowlife
  • Offensive
1 9.2

An insulting word for a person who is dishonest or behaves badly

is the straightforward category for moral badness, not just insult
scummer
vslowlife
  • Offensive
1 9.9

A person who lies or cheats and treats others badly

is broader, naming moral badness beyond insult usage

Antonyms

58 3.4

Following the law and not breaking rules

39 3.9

A person who is honest and has strong moral values

How Disreputable

lowlife
  • Offensive
63 7.7
criminal
882 2.1
scoundrel
  • Offensive
47 6.5
wrongdoer
7 4.3
rogue
113 5.9

Surface Forms

lowlife singular
lowlifes plural

Morphology

lowlife = low + life (semi-transparent) = low + life

The components 'low' and 'life' are recognizable, but the compound is a metaphorical label for a person of low moral status rather than a literal description of someone's life.

Etymology

Lowlife combines low and life, where low means 'base' or 'morally low', like the opposite of the 'high life'. So a lowlife is someone people see as morally bad or involved in crime.