ごくつぶし

ご

く

つ

ぶ

し

Freq.FrequencyTop 100,000

Meanings

1

noun

good-for-nothing; deadbeat; parasite

usually written using kana alone

Derogatory term for a person who does not work and lives off others, often implying they waste food or resources.

あいつは働はたらかない

ごくつぶし

だ

。

That guy is a good-for-nothing who doesn't work.

ごくつぶしの息子むすこに手てを焼やいている。

I'm at my wits' end with my deadbeat son.

Kanji

穀cereals, grain
潰crush, smash, break

Related words

役やく立たたず
役立たず is a more general term for someone useless or incompetent, while ごくつぶし specifically implies a person who consumes resources without contributing.
寄き生せい虫ちゅう
寄生虫 literally means 'parasite' and can be used metaphorically for a person who lives off others, but ごくつぶし is more colloquial and derogatory.

Written forms

ごくつぶしUsage50%
Kana spelling is standard; the word is usually written in kana.
穀潰ごくつぶしUsage50%
Kanji spelling is rare and may not be recognized by all readers.

Etymology

Compound of 穀 (grain, food) and 潰し (crushing, wasting), literally 'grain-waster'. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but it has been used since at least the Edo period to refer to an idle person who consumes food without working.