noun
scrub
A person regarded as incompetent or worthless.
He calls me a scrub whenever I miss an easy shot.
Etymology
Scrub is related to shrub. Stunted growth supplied a disparaging sense for something inferior and then an incompetent person; the washing verb is separate.
More examples
- She refuses to date a scrub who expects her to pay for everything.
- The new player proves he is no scrub.
- They dismiss us as scrubs, but we know what we're doing.
Forms
scrub · scrubs
Similar words
- loser
- A broader insult for someone seen as unsuccessful or unworthy.
- incompetent
- Specifically emphasizes lack of skill rather than overall personal worth.