Italian Word of the Day: Perdigiorno (slacker)

Do you know someone who sits around all day doing nothing? Then you could call him or her a perdigiorno in Italian!

/per·di·giór·no/
italian word for slacker

Perdigiorno, which is an invariable noun made up of the words perdere (to lose / to miss / to waste) and giorno (day), is used to describe both men and women who avoid work and effort. It literally means “day-waster”.

Here are the definite and indefinite articles you can use with this noun. Because it is invariable, the ending of perdigiorno never changes.

  • il perdigiorno = the slacker (male)
  • la perdigiorno = the slacker (female)
  • i perdigiorno = the slackers (males or mixed group)
  • le perdigiorno = the slackers (females)
  • un perdigiorno = a slacker (male)
  • una perdigiorno = a slacker (female)
  • (dei) perdigiorno = (some) slackers (males or mixed group)
  • (delle) perdigiorno = (some) slackers (females)

The expression fare il perdigiorno means to be a slacker.

Dovresti cercarti un lavoro invece di fare il perdigiorno.

You should find yourself a job instead of being a slacker.

A similar word with the same meaning is perditempo, made of the same verb perdere and the noun tempo (time). A “time-waster” basically!

Other common synonyms you’ll encounter are:

  • pigrone = lazy bones, couch potato
  • fannullone = lazy bones, good-for-nothing
  • scansafatiche = loafer, slacker
  • pelandrone = loafer, idler

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