🕵️ A secret hider 😴 A work dodger

skulker

9.1

A person who avoids work by pretending to be ill

noun
/ˈskʌlkər/

: fingidor

The manager warned that any skulker pretending to be sick would face consequences.

Examples

No team wants a skulker slowing down progress and morale.
He is such a skulker when it comes to group projects.
As a notorious skulker, he often avoided assignments by feigning headaches.
Don't be a skulker and help with the chores!
He was known as a skulker at work, always coming up with excuses to avoid his responsibilities.
During the group project, she acted like a skulker, pretending to be too sick to contribute anything.
Rather than help with the chores, he preferred to be a skulker, claiming he had more important things to do.

Synonyms

slacker

vsskulker

Offensive

33 4.6

A person who avoids work and often does very little

differs by focusing on pretending illness rather than habitual laziness or evasion

do-nothing

vsskulker

Offensive

9 7.0

A person who avoids work and makes little effort

contrasts because the key implies active deception through feigned illness rather than inertia

loafer

vsskulker

Offensive

5 5.8

A person who avoids work and does very little

contrasts by showing feigned illness as the avoidance method rather than laziness

malingerer

vsskulker

Formal

2 8.9

A person who pretends to be ill to avoid work

is the general name for someone who avoids by faking illness

goof-off

vsskulker

Informal

2 8.6

A person who avoids work and wastes time

is different because the key implies avoidance by pretending illness not laziness

shirker

vsskulker

1 8.0

A person who avoids work or responsibility, often by making excuses

chooses avoidance through pretending illness rather than general deliberate evasion

goldbricker

vsskulker

Offensive

1 9.9

A person who avoids work by pretending to be busy

avoids work by faking illness rather than pretending to be busy

sickie

vsskulker

Slang

1 9.3

A person who pretends to be ill to avoid work

is used for avoidance by faking illness rather than for plain laziness

goldbrick

vsskulker

Offensive

1 9.6

A person who avoids work by pretending to be busy

avoids work by faking illness rather than by seeming busy

slinker

vsskulker

1 8.4

A person or animal that moves quietly to avoid being noticed and blamed

avoids by faking illness rather than by stealthy movement or hiding

bludger

vsskulker

Offensive

1 9.9

A person who avoids work and does very little

is different because the key centers on feigning illness rather than slang laziness

lazybones

vsskulker

Offensive

1 7.2

A person who avoids work and prefers to rest

contrasts by using pretending illness to avoid duties rather than plain laziness

shammer

vsskulker

9.9

A person who pretends to be sick to avoid work

focuses on avoidance through pretending to be ill rather than other excuses

simulant

vsskulker

Offensive

8.4

A person who pretends to be ill to avoid work

is similar but highlights pretending illness more than other evasion methods

scrimshanker

vsskulker

Offensive

9.9

A person who avoids work

is similar but the key stresses avoidance by faking illness specifically

todger dodger

vsskulker

Offensive

9.9

A person who avoids work or duties by making excuses

differs by focusing on pretending illness rather than excuse-making avoidance

ditcher

vsskulker

Informal

7.2

A person who often misses school or work on purpose

avoids through pretending illness rather than openly skipping activities

Antonyms

hard worker

33 1.3

A person who puts a lot of effort into their job or tasks

How Lazy

slacker

Offensive

33 4.6

skulker

9.1

shirker

1 8.0

worker

600 1.0

Surface Forms

skulker singular

skulkers plural

Morphology

skulker = skulk (transparent) = skulk + er

The agentive suffix '-er' added to the verb 'skulk' yields 'skulker' meaning 'one who skulks', a directly derivable meaning for learners.

Etymology

Skulker comes from the old verb skulk, which meant 'to hide' or 'to avoid duty'. So a skulker is someone who hides from work or responsibility, for example by pretending to be sick.