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
Now, granted, that’s a lousy turnaround for the Rams, given a Thursday nighter on the road.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 10 June 2026
As many as 7 in 10 of those operators blamed tight visa rules, vetting of immigrants and a spike in the cost of catching a flight into the United States, brought on by the Iran war, as reasons for the lousy booking rates.
—Andre Mouchard, Oc Register, 8 June 2026
The internet has been lousy with them since the 2000s, long before the acronym entered the lexicon as an outgrowth of the wider financial-independence movement.
—Joshua Rivera, Vanity Fair, 8 June 2026
Those are the fruits primarily of being lousy, which the B’s were in 2024-25.
—Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 8 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for lousy
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Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 10 June 2026
As many as 7 in 10 of those operators blamed tight visa rules, vetting of immigrants and a spike in the cost of catching a flight into the United States, brought on by the Iran war, as reasons for the lousy booking rates.
—Andre Mouchard, Oc Register, 8 June 2026
The internet has been lousy with them since the 2000s, long before the acronym entered the lexicon as an outgrowth of the wider financial-independence movement.
—Joshua Rivera, Vanity Fair, 8 June 2026
Those are the fruits primarily of being lousy, which the B’s were in 2024-25.
—Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 8 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 12 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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