Sentence:  Clara's father, a trollish <WSD>ne'er-do-well</WSD> who spent most of his time in brothels and saloons, would disappear for days and weeks at a stretch, leaving Clara and her mother to fend for themselves. 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  A person without a means of support; an idle, worthless person; a loafer; a person who is ineffectual, unsuccessful, or completely lacking in merit; a good-for-nothing.