What does nooner mean?
A nooner is a person who does nothing, especially someone regarded as lazy, idle, or unwilling to contribute. The word is informal and commonly disparaging, but it can also be playful when directed at someone in a familiar or joking context. It emphasizes inactivity more clearly than a neutral term such as "person" and more personally than an abstract description such as "lack of effort." A nooner may be someone who avoids responsibilities, but the term can also describe a person who is merely uninvolved in a particular activity: "Three willing workers and one nooner," for example, suggests a group in which one member contributes nothing. Although often used as a general insult, the word is sometimes chosen for comic effect because it turns the phrase "no one" into a label for an unproductive individual.
nounA person who does nothing; an idler or lazy person. The term is mildly disparaging and often informal.
- A person who does nothing or refuses to make an effort; an idler.
- An inactive or ineffective person, especially within a group or organization.
"I called him a nooner for sitting around all afternoon while the rest of us cleaned the garage."
"The committee was held up by one nooner who never attended the meetings."
""Stop being a nooner and give me a hand with these boxes.""
Pluralized with the ordinary agent-noun suffix: "no-oners."
"The children called the two boys no-oners because they refused to join the game."
A nooner is literally a "no-one" with a job title: doing nothing has become a profession.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of nooner
The word was formed in the 19th century by adding the agent-forming suffix -er to "no one." Its sense develops literally from the expression "no one," with the suffix turning that phrase into a name for a person characterized by doing nothing. Its formation parallels other agent nouns, including "oneer" in the sense of a person who does something, while the older word "nonesuch" belongs to the same broader tradition of words involving "none."
How nooner is actually used
Informal and mildly disparaging. It is often used in British and American speech as a humorous but insulting label for someone perceived as idle, lazy, or unhelpful.
Easily confused with nooner
"Nooner" is a derogatory name for a person who does nothing, whereas "nobody" is the ordinary pronoun meaning no person.