delinquent
/dɪˈlɪŋkwənt/ (bre, ipa) · /dɪˈlɪŋkwənt/ (ame, ipa) · /di-ˈliŋ-kwənt -ˈlin-/ (ame, mw) · /dɪˈlɪŋ.kwənt/ (bre, ipa) · /dɪˈlɪŋ.kwənt/ (ame, ipa)
delinquent — noun
- delinquentsingular
- delinquentsplural
1. a young person, especially a teenager, who repeatedly breaks the law or behaves
a young person, especially a teenager, who repeatedly breaks the law or behaves in ways that society treats as wrong.
The neighbourhood centre runs after-school classes for young delinquents at risk of dropping out.
collocation: young delinquents
By the age of fifteen Imran had been labelled a delinquent by every teacher at the school.
passive: be labelled a delinquent
Salma volunteers at a shelter that helps juvenile delinquents finish their schooling.
Most of the boys at the boot camp were petty delinquents who had stolen bicycles or sprayed graffiti.
- offender
neutral legal term; can be any age, while 'delinquent' implies a minor
- troublemaker
informal; covers bad behaviour even when no law is broken
- young offender
official UK legal label for a minor who has been convicted
文法句型
a juvenile delinquent
young delinquents
用法筆記
Often modified by 'juvenile' or 'young'; the noun strongly implies a minor rather than an adult criminal. Distinguish from sense 2, which is about unpaid debts and may refer to companies or adults.
常見錯誤
2. a person, company, or other body that has not paid money owed by the date it was
a person, company, or other body that has not paid money owed by the date it was due.
The city published a list of property-tax delinquents on its official website last Friday.
compound noun: tax delinquent
Felix wrote to every delinquent on his books, warning that the account would be sent to collections.
The bank classifies any borrower more than ninety days behind as a delinquent.
Most credit-card delinquents in the report had lost their jobs during the recession.
- payer
someone who pays as agreed
文法句型
a delinquent on a loan
tax delinquents
用法筆記
Mostly American English; British usage prefers phrases like 'defaulter' or 'someone in arrears'. The word treats the unpaid party as a category, often in legal, banking, or tax-collection writing.
常見錯誤
delinquent — adjective
- delinquentpositive
- more delinquentcomparative
- most delinquentsuperlative
1. of a young person or their actions: repeatedly breaking the law, or doing things
of a young person or their actions: repeatedly breaking the law, or doing things that society treats as seriously wrong.
Charlotte's brother went through a delinquent phase in high school but later trained as a nurse.
collocation: delinquent phase
The film follows a group of delinquent teenagers who spray-paint the walls of a quiet seaside town.
collocation: delinquent teenagers
Social workers in Hui's district try to reach delinquent children before they enter the court system.
Spraying graffiti on the war memorial is a clearly delinquent act, not a piece of street art.
- law-abiding
respectful of laws and rules
文法句型
delinquent behaviour
delinquent youth
delinquent acts
用法筆記
Almost always used before a noun (attributive). Subjects are typically young people or the actions of young people; using it for serious adult crime sounds too soft.
常見錯誤
2. behind on paying money that is already due, such as a bill, loan, or tax.
behind on paying money that is already due, such as a bill, loan, or tax.
The bank sent a final letter to every customer with a delinquent loan of more than three months.
collocation: delinquent loan
Aoi discovered that her landlord's property taxes had been delinquent for almost a year.
predicative: be delinquent (of money owed)
Caio's accountant warned him that one more delinquent payment would damage his credit score.
The city auctioned off houses with delinquent water bills going back many years.
- overdue
everyday word for the same idea; preferred in British English
- in arrears
fixed phrase used after a noun; common in housing and tax contexts
- outstanding
neutral; simply means 'still to be paid', without blaming anyone
文法句型
a delinquent account
delinquent taxes
delinquent loans
用法筆記
Mainly American English; in British English you would normally say 'overdue' or 'in arrears'. The subject is the money owed (a loan, bill, tax, account), not the person who owes it — for the person, use sense 1 of the noun.
常見錯誤
3. not doing something that is part of your job, role, or responsibility.
not doing something that is part of your job, role, or responsibility.
The report found that several inspectors had been delinquent in checking the city's older bridges.
pattern: delinquent in + -ing
Stefan apologised to the board for being delinquent in filing the quarterly safety reports.
pattern: delinquent in + -ing
Reuben felt he had been delinquent as a son after not visiting his mother for three years.
The judge accused the lawyer of being delinquent in her duty to inform her client of the offer.
- diligent
careful and thorough in carrying out duties
- conscientious
guided by a strong sense of right and wrong about one's responsibilities
文法句型
delinquent in one's duties
delinquent in reporting
用法筆記
Used after a linking verb (predicative) and usually followed by 'in' + an -ing form or noun. The fault is one of omission — failing to do what was expected — rather than active wrongdoing as in sense 1.