bad lots
People of disrepute
Bad lots are people of poor character—troublemakers, rogues, or those who habitually make wrong choices.
The phrase treats people as if they were merchandise of inferior quality: Her brother was always a bad lot, in and out of jail.
British and somewhat old-fashioned.
The singular bad lot appears more often than the plural.
- sketchyIncomplete or suspicious
- unreliableNot consistently performing
- black sheepDisreputable family member
- questionableOf uncertain validity
- dubiousOf uncertain reliability
lost sheep · substandard · rascals · undesirables · wrong crowd · scoundrels · inferior · miscreants · troublemakers · reprobates · rogues · ne'er-do-wells · defective · rotten apples · notorious · infamous · disreputable · delinquents
moral character
bad lotsgood eggs
Dependable, likable people
salt of the earth · good sorts · pillars of the community · straight arrows · good people