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
In this strangest of seasons -- who’d-a-thunk the Chiefs would be lousy and the Jaguars real good?
—Greg Cote
january 1, Miami Herald, 1 Jan. 2026
But the measures that were taken over the years to wreck the lives of so many Americans—negotiating lousy trade agreements, deregulating banks, rolling back antitrust—were not simply inevitable.
—Rosa Lyster, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
This lousy wintry Monday came a day after unseasonable severe weather socked the area.
—Laura Bannon, CBS News, 29 Dec. 2025
Having a lousy year does have its benefits.
—Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 25 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lousy
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Greg Cote
january 1, Miami Herald, 1 Jan. 2026
But the measures that were taken over the years to wreck the lives of so many Americans—negotiating lousy trade agreements, deregulating banks, rolling back antitrust—were not simply inevitable.
—Rosa Lyster, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
This lousy wintry Monday came a day after unseasonable severe weather socked the area.
—Laura Bannon, CBS News, 29 Dec. 2025
Having a lousy year does have its benefits.
—Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 25 Dec. 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 3 Jan. 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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