sad sack
7
8.6
- noun
- /sæd sæk/
- Offensive
:
inútil (ofensivo)
- He always complains about his bad luck, but he's just a sad sack who never tries to improve.
- see the sad sack
Examples
-
And here I was, the sad-sack local lately sucker-punched by the city slicker.
Fiction book (2002) -
Instead, the film gives us Steve Carell in his umpteenth sad-sack, moist-eyed clown role.
Blog text (19) -
Why are you such a sad sack today?
-
Bit of a sad sack, really.
-
Boy, am I a sad sack, he thought.
Fiction book (1993) -
- What's up, sad sack?
-
Don't be a sad sack.
-
Jacob Wysocki initially plays Troy as a sort of sad sack.
Blog text (23) -
"Don't be such a sad sack," Mrs. Coleman said.
Fiction book (1999) -
You're a sad sack of a human being and a one-trick pony.
Blog text (9)
Synonyms
810
4.8
A person who often fails and who others look down on
59
8.8
A person who behaves in a silly or careless way
10
7.5
A person who does a job very badly
9
9.9
A person who often makes serious or careless mistakes
6
4.6
A person who is not able to do a job or task well
3
3.7
A person who does not have the skills or ability to do a task well
2
8.3
A person who often makes mistakes and seems clumsy
1
7.8
A person who often makes mistakes because they lack skill
1
6.5
A person who often fails and seems unlucky
1
9.2
A person who does a job badly because they are not skilled
1
7.5
A person who often makes mistakes because they lack skill
1
6.5
A person who often makes mistakes because they lack skill
1
7.8
A person who often makes serious mistakes because they are careless
Antonyms
How Inept
- Offensive
810
4.8
3
3.7
- Offensive
7
8.6
1
7.8
- Offensive
22
8.2
Surface Forms
Morphology
The adjective 'sad' gives a clear sense of pitiable or unfortunate, but the noun 'sack' (here listed as 'termination of employment' and more generally a bag or derogatory tag) does not transparently contribute the specific sense 'inept person.' A B1 learner who knows the constituents might infer a pitiable or contemptible person, but the precise idiomatic sense of habitual ineptitude is not fully predictable without prior exposure, so the expression is only partially compositional.
Etymology
Sad sack may come from an old comic character called 'Sad Sack', an unlucky soldier who always looked tired and failed at tasks. The picture of a limp sack, a bag that seems empty and useless, helps explain why the phrase means 'a person who often fails or makes mistakes'.