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
The English-only tests will push people to drive without licenses in a state with lousy public transportation, said Adriana Rivera, a spokeswoman for the Florida Immigrant Coalition.
—David Ovalle, NPR, 20 Apr. 2026
The atmosphere is lousy with the stuff, tinting the air a butterscotch color—except near the sun in the sky, where light scattering creates a blue aura that is best visible at sunset.
—Phil Plait, Scientific American, 17 Apr. 2026
Their passionate fans, who have loyally kept showing up for the last five years to watch the lousy basketball those decisions have wrought, will be wanting.
—Los Angeles Times, 15 Apr. 2026
In November and early December, as the Wild rebounded from a lousy first month, Wallstedt won seven consecutive starts and posted shutouts in three of them.
—Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 8 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for lousy
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David Ovalle, NPR, 20 Apr. 2026
The atmosphere is lousy with the stuff, tinting the air a butterscotch color—except near the sun in the sky, where light scattering creates a blue aura that is best visible at sunset.
—Phil Plait, Scientific American, 17 Apr. 2026
Their passionate fans, who have loyally kept showing up for the last five years to watch the lousy basketball those decisions have wrought, will be wanting.
—Los Angeles Times, 15 Apr. 2026
In November and early December, as the Wild rebounded from a lousy first month, Wallstedt won seven consecutive starts and posted shutouts in three of them.
—Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 8 Apr. 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 24 Apr. 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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