lousier; lousiest
1
: infested (see infest sense 2) with lice
The ragged, lousy tribesmen …—
T. E. Lawrence
T. E. Lawrence2
a
: totally repulsive (see repulsive sense 3) : contemptible
a lousy way of getting even
b
: miserably poor or inferior
got lousy grades
c
: somewhat ill
felt lousy after dinner
d
: amply supplied : replete
lousy with money
3
of silk
: fuzzy and specked because of splitting of the fiber
Examples of lousy in a Sentence
She got lousy grades in high school.
I like the work, but the pay is lousy.
He was a lousy husband.
They did a lousy job.
He drank too much and felt lousy the next morning.
It's a lousy, rainy day.
That's a lousy way to treat a friend.
Recent Examples on the Web
Jane Ragsdale’s best friend Christine Chenoweth, a pastoral counselor and former Presbyterian minister, says the South Fork of the Guadalupe is now lousy and wrecked and haunted.
—Karen Valby, Vanity Fair, 16 June 2026
In 2015, the team was so lousy the New York Times reassigned its Knicks beat writer, Scott Cacciola, to cover games anywhere but New York.
—Sean Gregory, Time, 14 June 2026
Supportive Leaders are Co-Laborers Mozart was a lousy financial manager.
—Chip Bell, Forbes.com, 14 June 2026
Now, granted, that’s a lousy turnaround for the Rams, given a Thursday nighter on the road.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 10 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for lousy
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Karen Valby, Vanity Fair, 16 June 2026
In 2015, the team was so lousy the New York Times reassigned its Knicks beat writer, Scott Cacciola, to cover games anywhere but New York.
—Sean Gregory, Time, 14 June 2026
Supportive Leaders are Co-Laborers Mozart was a lousy financial manager.
—Chip Bell, Forbes.com, 14 June 2026
Now, granted, that’s a lousy turnaround for the Rams, given a Thursday nighter on the road.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 10 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for lousy
Cite this Entry
“Lousy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lousy. Accessed 19 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
lousy
adjective
lousier; lousiest
1
: infested with lice
2
a
: totally disgusting : contemptible
b
: of very poor quality
got lousy grades
c
: somewhat ill
felt lousy after dinner
d
: well supplied
lousy with money
Medical Definition
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