ろくでもない

ろ

く

で

も

な

い

Meanings

1

expression, i-adjective

good-for-nothing; useless; worthless

usually written using kana alone

Strongly dismissive; used to describe people, things, or situations that are utterly lacking in value or decency. Often carries a tone of contempt or exasperation.

あいつは本ほん当とうにろくでもない奴やつだ。
That guy is really good-for-nothing.

ろくでもないことばかり考かんがえてるな。

You're always thinking about worthless stuff.

Written forms

ロクでもない
kana-only spelling
Katakana variant, sometimes used for emphasis or in casual writing.
碌ろくでもない
ateji (phonetic kanji usage)rarely-used kanji form
Rare kanji form using ateji; not recommended for learners.
陸ろくでもない
rarely-used kanji form
Rare kanji form; may be confused with 陸 (りく).

Kanji

碌satisfactory
陸land, six

Similar words

くだらない
Means 'trivial' or 'silly'; less harsh than ろくでもない, which implies moral worthlessness or utter uselessness.
役やく立たたず
A noun meaning 'useless person/thing'; ろくでもない is an adjective phrase and more emotionally charged.

Etymology

Derived from ろく (碌, 'satisfactory') + でもない ('is not even'). The kanji 碌 is ateji. The exact origin of ろく is uncertain, but the phrase has been used since the Edo period to express worthlessness.