shlemiel

[ shluh-meel ]
/ ʃləˈmil /

noun

schlemiel.

Words nearby shlemiel

shivoo, shizuoka, shiʿah, shiʿite, shkodër, shlemiel, shlep, shlimazel, shlock, shlocky, shloshim

Definition for shlemiel (2 of 2)

schlemiel

or schle·mihl, shle·miel

[ shluh-meel ]
/ ʃləˈmil /

noun Slang.

an awkward and unlucky person for whom things never turn out right.

Origin of schlemiel

1890–95; < Yiddish shlemil < Hebrew shəlumīʾēl Shelumiel, a Biblical and Talmudic figure

British Dictionary definitions for shlemiel

schlemiel

schlemihl or shlemiel

/ (ʃləˈmiːl) /

noun

US slang an awkward or unlucky person whose endeavours usually fail

Word Origin for schlemiel

Yiddish, from German, after the hero of a novel by Chamisso (1781–1838)