slacker

American  

[slak-er] / ˈslæk ər /

noun

1. a person who evades their duty or work; shirker.

   Synonyms:

   laggard, dodger, malingerer

2. an especially educated young person who is antimaterialistic, purposeless, apathetic, and usually works in a dead-end job.

3. a person who evades military service.

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slacker British  

/ ˈslækə /

noun

1. a person who evades work or duty; shirker

2. informal

   1. an educated young adult characterized by cynicism and apathy

   2. ( as modifier )

      slacker culture

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Etymology

Origin of slacker

First recorded in 1790–1800; slack ¹ ( def. ) + -er ¹ ( def. ); slacker def. 2 popularized by the film Slackers (1991)

Explanation

A slacker is someone who can't be relied on to do a job or finish a project. If you're looking for the slacker in your family, you'll probably find him on the couch. Nobody wants a slacker on their soccer team. Slackers avoid effort of any kind, putting work off or getting someone else to do it for them. While slacker is commonly thought of as a word from the 1990s — there was even a movie called Slackers made in 1991 — it's actually been around since at least the late 1800s. In the early 20th century, Sudanese workers protested their lack of voice and power by slacking, or working very slowly.

Example Sentences

The line became one of Tolkan’s most famous, and mega-fans would flock to Comic-Cons around the country to ask the star to call them a slacker, requests he typically obliged.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 30, 2026

That realisation manifests in the lovestruck slacker rock of Dragonfly, and the finger-plucked Neptune Baby, with its refrain, "I'm a boat, and you are the water".

From BBC • Apr. 27, 2025

DB, a slacker pool cleaner with eyes the same cerulean shade as the chlorinated body of water he tends to with an almost religious ecstasy.

From Los Angeles Times • May 9, 2024

Ripley, a slacker and a con man grinding out a living in postwar New York, is sent to Italy to try to persuade a trust-funded idler to come home and take over the family business.

From New York Times • Apr. 4, 2024

Not a slacker goof-off, but a good goof-off.

From "Thirteen Reasons Why" by Jay Asher