A Z-lister is a person at the very bottom of the fame ladder — someone who turns up on television or in magazines but who almost nobody really thinks of as a star. It is the noun that goes with the adjective Z-list.

A Z-lister is a person at the very bottom of the fame ladderZ-lister是站在名氣階梯最底層的人 — someone who turns up on television or in magazines會上電視或雜誌 but who almost nobody really thinks of as a star但幾乎沒有人真的把他當明星看. It is the noun that goes with the adjective Z-list是形容詞 Z-list 對應的名詞.

English ranks famous people with letters: A-list is the top, the real stars, and the alphabet runs down from there. Z is the last letter, so a Z-lister is as far from the top as you can go.

English ranks famous people with letters英文用字母替名人分等級: A-list is the top, the real starsA-list是最頂端、真正的巨星, and the alphabet runs down from there然後字母就一路往下排. Z is the last letterZ是最後一個字母, so a Z-lister is as far from the top as you can go所以Z-lister離頂端能有多遠就有多遠.

Two kinds of people get called this. One is the barely-known: an actor who has had three small parts, a singer nobody outside one city has heard. The other kind — and this is the one people usually mean — is someone who is genuinely all over the newspapers but has done nothing to earn it.

Two kinds of people get called this被這樣叫的人有兩種. One is the barely-known一種是幾乎沒沒無聞的人: an actor who has had three small parts演過三個小角色的演員, a singer nobody outside one city has heard出了一個城市就沒人聽過的歌手. The other kind另一種 — and this is the one people usually mean也是大家通常說的那種 — is someone who is genuinely all over the newspapers是那種真的天天上報 but has done nothing to earn it卻沒做過什麼值得的事的人.

They were on a reality show. They dated somebody famous. They are famous for being famous. That second meaning carries real scorn: the speaker is saying this person takes up space that should belong to someone with talent.

They were on a reality show.上過實境秀。 They dated somebody famous.跟名人交往過。 They are famous for being famous.因為出名而出名。 That second meaning carries real scorn這第二種意思帶著真正的輕蔑: the speaker is saying this person takes up space說話的人是在說這個人佔了位置 that should belong to someone with talent而那個位置本該屬於有實力的人.

The word is informal and it is rude. Gossip magazines and British newspapers throw it around freely, but you would not use it about someone to their face, and it does not belong in serious writing. It is often said with a little sniff of superiority, which is why it can sound snobbish as well as unkind.

The word is informal and it is rude.這個字不正式，而且帶點粗魯。 Gossip magazines and British newspapers throw it around freely八卦雜誌和英國報紙很隨便地用它, but you would not use it about someone to their face但你不會當著別人的面這樣說他, and it does not belong in serious writing也不適合出現在正式的文章裡. It is often said with a little sniff of superiority說的時候常常帶著一點高高在上的口氣, which is why it can sound snobbish as well as unkind這也是為什麼它聽起來既勢利又刻薄.

You will also see it stretched beyond show business, half in fun — a Z-lister at a conference, meaning the least important person in the room.

You will also see it stretched beyond show business你也會看到它被用到演藝圈以外, half in fun帶點開玩笑的意味 — a Z-lister at a conference像是「研討會裡的 Z-lister」, meaning the least important person in the room意思是這個房間裡最不重要的人.