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
That’s a lousy deal for Tesla’s shareholders.
—Shawn Tully, Fortune, 29 Nov. 2025
There was some lousy puck luck that cost the Wild a power-play goal when Kaprizov’s tip at the net front slipped under Chicago goalie Spencer Knight, but the puck came to rest on — but not over — the goal line.
—Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 27 Nov. 2025
Sixteenth-century French noblewoman Marguerite got stuck with a lousy guardian.
—Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 13 Nov. 2025
There will be some new funding that could up the lousy numbers from the study period.
—The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 17 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lousy
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Shawn Tully, Fortune, 29 Nov. 2025
There was some lousy puck luck that cost the Wild a power-play goal when Kaprizov’s tip at the net front slipped under Chicago goalie Spencer Knight, but the puck came to rest on — but not over — the goal line.
—Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 27 Nov. 2025
Sixteenth-century French noblewoman Marguerite got stuck with a lousy guardian.
—Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 13 Nov. 2025
There will be some new funding that could up the lousy numbers from the study period.
—The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 17 Oct. 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 5 Dec. 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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