deadbeat

(dĕd'bēt') Slang.
n.

1. One who does not pay one's debts.
2. A lazy person; a loafer.

adj.
Not fulfilling one's obligations or paying one's debts: a deadbeat dad.


dead·beat² (dĕd'bēt')
adj.
Having an indicator that stops without oscillation.

View more Science videos

Credit customer who, without just cause, has not paid for his order by the end of the billing series; also called uncollectible. Names of deadbeats are removed from the active customer list and may be used later as a purge file against promotion lists. See also bad debt; bad-debt allowance; credit prescreening.

In general: one who does not pay his bills. In contrast to a freeloader or deadhead , who doesn’t pay the (train) fare but doesn’t necessarily add cost to the service provider, the deadbeat runs up a bill for goods and services that he uses individually, without payment.


Accounting: credit customer who, without just cause, has not paid for his order by the end of the billing cycle. Names of deadbeats are removed from the active customer list and may be used later as a purge file against promotion lists.
See also bad debt.

Previous:	Dead-End Job, Dead-Cat Bounce, Dead Time
Next:	Deadhead, Deadline, Dealer

1.  Defeated; also exhausted. For example, That horse was dead beat before the race even began, or, as Charles Dickens put it in Martin Chuzzlewit (1843): "Pull off my boots for me ... I am quite knocked up. Dead beat." [ Slang; first half of 1800s]
2.  Also, deadbeat. A lazy person or loafer; also, one who does not pay debts. For example, Her housemate knew she was a deadbeat, shirking her share of the chores, or He's a deadbeat; don't count on getting that money back. [Slang; second half of 1800s]

IN BRIEF: n. - Someone who fails to meet a financial obligation.

Tutor's tip: You would be "dead beat" (exhausted) if you had to carry the load for a "deadbeat" (a moocher; a loafer) in your office.

LearnThatWord.com is a free vocabulary and spelling program where you only pay for results!

For a list of words related to deadbeat, see:

• Morality or Character

---

See words rhyming with "deadbeat."

Dansk (Danish)
adj. - udmattet, uden rekyl
n. - fattigper, dovenlars

Nederlands (Dutch)
doodop, klaploper (in uurwerk)

Français (French)
adj. - crevé, éreinté, claqué
n. - chiffe molle, (US) parasite, pique-assiette

Deutsch (German)
n. - Taugenichts
adj. - erschöpft

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - (καθομ.) τρακαδόρος, χαραμοφάης, κακοπληρωτής, μπαταξής
adj. - ξεθεωμένος, κατάκοπος, (ηλεκτρ.) απεριοδικός, (μηχαν.) άνευ οπισθοδρομήσεως

Italiano (Italian)
fannullone

Português (Portuguese)
n. - malandro (m)
adj. - caloteiro

Русский (Russian)
бездельник

Español (Spanish)
adj. - rendido , pulsación sin retroceso
n. - zángano, aprovechado, gorrón, tunante, taimado

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - dagdrivare
adj. - dödstrött

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
非周期的, 无振荡的, 赖债不还的人, 食客, 饭桶

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
adj. - 非周期的, 無振蕩的
n. - 賴債不還的人, 食客, 飯桶

한국어 (Korean)
adj. - 기진맥진한
n. - 부랑자, 돈을 떼 먹는 사람, 나태한 사람, (식물을) 고사 시키다

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 払わない人, 怠け者

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) متهرب من دفع ديونه, المتسكع (صفه) ذو مؤشر يعطي قراءة قليله أو منعدمه التأرجح‏

עברית (Hebrew)
adj. - ‮עצלן, רצוץ, עייף, לא פורע חוב‬
n. - ‮עצלן, ביטניק‬

If you are unable to view some languages clearly, click here.

To select your translation preferences click here.