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
But a series of lousy draft picks and a lack of an attractive infrastructure — that imaginary permanent practice facility is being built any day now! — have kept them from acquiring the sort of superstars that carry teams in crunch time, the kind of difference-makers this town deserves.
—Bill Plaschke, Los Angeles Times, 30 June 2025
Worse, this is the sort of thriller in which the stooges hired from Rent-a-Minion are such lousy shots that there’s never any doubt that all of them will eventually be terminated, either by Guy and his makeshift weaponry or their impatient employer.
—Joe Leydon, Variety, 27 June 2025
What human fantasy is more powerful than the do-over, the chance to relive your life and fix your lousy youthful decisions?
—Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 26 June 2025
Since that was a lousy year for markets, that net worth is probably higher now.
—Michael Foster, Forbes.com, 20 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for lousy
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Bill Plaschke, Los Angeles Times, 30 June 2025
Worse, this is the sort of thriller in which the stooges hired from Rent-a-Minion are such lousy shots that there’s never any doubt that all of them will eventually be terminated, either by Guy and his makeshift weaponry or their impatient employer.
—Joe Leydon, Variety, 27 June 2025
What human fantasy is more powerful than the do-over, the chance to relive your life and fix your lousy youthful decisions?
—Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 26 June 2025
Since that was a lousy year for markets, that net worth is probably higher now.
—Michael Foster, Forbes.com, 20 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for lousy
Cite this Entry
“Lousy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lousy. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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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