lowlife

low·life
L1O1W4L1I1F4E1
US/ˈloʊlaɪf/UK/ˈləʊlaɪf/

adjective

Lacking morality.

“They say all the lowlifes used to hang out at the docks and plot their despicable crimes, before being elected to public office.”

Similar
criminal and Thesaurus:jerkrotterdirty dogratskunkstinkerstinkpotbum
UncommonScrabble 13
Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

adjectivelowlife (comparative more lowlife, superlative most lowlife)

comparative more lowlife · superlative most lowlife · alternative low-life · alternative low life

  1. Lacking morality.
  2. Seemingly mischievous and troublesome to society.
nounlowlife (plural lowlifes or lowlives)

plural lowlifes · plural lowlives · alternative low-life · alternative low life

  1. derogatoryAn untrustworthy, despicable, disreputable, or otherwise immoral person, especially one suspected of being a criminal.

    They say all the lowlifes used to hang out at the docks and plot their despicable crimes, before being elected to public office.

  2. derogatoryA person who is rebuked by their community for their behavior.
  3. derogatoryA person of low socio-economic status.

Synonyms & antonyms

Similar
criminal and Thesaurus:jerk

nouna person who is deemed to be despicable or contemptible

Similar
rotterdirty dogratskunkstinkerstinkpotbumpukecrumbscumbagso-and-sogitscum bag
Broader
unpleasant persondisagreeable person
Also see
bumcriminalcrumbgithoodlumjerklowliferperpetratorpukeratrotterscumbagskunkso-and-sostinkerstinkpot

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

From low + life.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 低端人口
  • 低端人口 (dīduānrénkǒu)untrustworthy, despicable, or disreputable person
Dutch viezerik
  • viezerikuntrustworthy, despicable, or disreputable person
Esperanto kanajlo, abomenulo
  • kanajlountrustworthy, despicable, or disreputable person
  • abomenulountrustworthy, despicable, or disreputable person
Finnish lurjus, ketku
  • lurjusuntrustworthy, despicable, or disreputable person
  • ketkuuntrustworthy, despicable, or disreputable person
French racaille
  • racailleuntrustworthy, despicable, or disreputable person
German zwielichtige Gestalt, zwielichtige Person
  • zwielichtige Gestaltuntrustworthy, despicable, or disreputable person
  • zwielichtige Personuntrustworthy, despicable, or disreputable person
  • suspekter Typuntrustworthy, despicable, or disreputable person
  • Gesindeluntrustworthy, despicable, or disreputable person
  • Packuntrustworthy, despicable, or disreputable person
  • Abschaumuntrustworthy, despicable, or disreputable person
Greek ρεμάλι, κάθαρμα
  • ρεμάλι (remáli)untrustworthy, despicable, or disreputable person
  • κάθαρμα (kátharma)untrustworthy, despicable, or disreputable person
Indonesian sampah masyarakat
  • sampah masyarakatuntrustworthy, despicable, or disreputable person
Polish szumowina, zwyrodnialec
  • szumowinauntrustworthy, despicable, or disreputable person
  • zwyrodnialecuntrustworthy, despicable, or disreputable person
Russian отморо́зок, шваль
  • отморо́зок (otmorózok)untrustworthy, despicable, or disreputable person
  • шваль (švalʹ)untrustworthy, despicable, or disreputable person
  • сво́лочь (svóločʹ)untrustworthy, despicable, or disreputable person
Spanish canalla, rufián
  • canallauntrustworthy, despicable, or disreputable person
  • rufiánuntrustworthy, despicable, or disreputable person
Swedish skurk
  • skurkuntrustworthy, despicable, or disreputable person
Cite this entry
APA

lowlife. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lowlife

MLA

“lowlife.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lowlife. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “lowlife,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lowlife.

Source: lowlife on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.