noun
heel
A contemptible or untrustworthy person.
He is a heel who takes credit for other people's work.
Etymology
The body-part word acquired a slang use for a contemptible person. The low position of a heel fits the insult, but that image is not a securely established account of the sense’s origin.
More examples
- I feel like a heel for forgetting her birthday.
- What kind of heel steals from a friend?
- Those heels took her money and never finished the repairs.
Forms
heel · heels
Similar words
- jerk
- Emphasizes rude or inconsiderate behavior rather than dishonesty.
- scoundrel
- More strongly condemns someone's dishonesty or lack of moral principles.