schlemiel

noun

schle·​miel shlə-ˈmēl How to pronounce schlemiel (audio)
variants or less commonly shlemiel
Synonyms of schlemielnext
: an unlucky bungler : chump

Examples of schlemiel in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
This character may be Grade’s most magnificently grotesque creation, half demon, half schlemiel. — Judith Shulevitz, The Atlantic, 16 Mar. 2025 He, the promising artist who died young, and I, the schlemiel who shovels out several hundred dollars a month to the storage company to house his artworks. — Will Stephenson, Harper's Magazine, 16 Aug. 2023

Word History

Etymology

Yiddish shlemil

First Known Use

1868, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of schlemiel was in 1868

Browse Nearby Words

Schleifer
schlemiel
schlenter
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Schlemiel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/schlemiel. Accessed 29 Mar. 2025.

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Kids Definition

schlemiel

noun
schle·​miel
variants also shlemiel
shlə-ˈmē(ə)l
: an unlucky and foolish person : chump

More from Merriam-Webster on schlemiel

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for schlemiel

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