lame 1 of 2

adjective

ˈlām How to pronounce lame (audio)
Definition of lamenext
1
as in pitiful
arousing or deserving of one's loathing and disgust that's a pretty lame way to treat someone

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in unacceptable
falling short of a standard the amenities at this hotel are lame; there's not even free Wi-Fi in the room

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

lame

2 of 2

verb

as in to cripple
to cause severe or permanent injury to we were afraid that the horse would be lamed by its horrible fall

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of lame
Adjective
At supper the guides exchanged significant glances across the fire and acted like a couple of guys who have picked a lame horse. — Fred Bear, Outdoor Life, 11 June 2026 The Browns are clearly in rebuild mode, with 2026 expected to be a lame-duck season at quarterback with Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders vying for the starting job for a season before the team uses the 2027 draft to select its latest quarterback of the future. — Jim Reineking, USA Today, 2 June 2026 Our lame-duck governor is happily corrupt and no longer answerable to Floridians. — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 30 May 2026 Why should Pritzker or any Illinois politician help this lame-duck mayor? — Chicago Tribune, 29 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for lame
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lame
  1. pitiful
  2. unacceptable
  3. cripple
  4. cheap
  5. poor
  6. incapacitate
  7. dirty
  8. wrong
Adjective
  • Completing the hat trick in pitiful style, Taking on the World was shot on a shoestring budget, helmed by the man behind Highlander III, and forced to rely on stock footage of real-life footballers.
    — Jon O'Brien, Vulture, 26 June 2026
  • Given the national team’s pitiful demise at the Oval, with New Zealand completing victory on the fifth morning, Ben Stokes’ revival in absentia feels like the only consolation from a miserable week.
    — Hector Vickers, New York Times, 21 June 2026
Definition of pitiful
Adjective
  • Tell them that their behavior is embarrassing and unacceptable.
    — Harriette Cole, Mercury News, 23 July 2026
  • Other officials told me that, in meetings of White House staff, Finer, the deputy national-security adviser, often asked what civilian death toll would be deemed unacceptable.
    — David D. Kirkpatrick, New Yorker, 20 July 2026
Definition of unacceptable
Verb
  • Because control can be distributed across multiple platforms, the loss of a single drone does not necessarily cripple the entire formation.
    — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 21 July 2026
  • Moses Okello, a senior researcher with the Institute for Security Studies’ Horn of Africa program, told CNN the attacks appear designed to cripple the city’s ability to function rather than simply hit military targets.
    — Nimi Princewill, CNN Money, 20 July 2026
Definition of cripple
Adjective
  • The new buildings also provided cheaper housing options for Caracas workers who couldn’t afford to live in the city.
    — Syra Ortiz-Blanes, Miami Herald, 24 July 2026
  • The Steamfitters were staging protests outside the Pfizer site, accusing the MetroLoft — which employs a mix of union and nonunion contractors — of building on the cheap and tolerating unsafe work conditions.
    — Andrew Rice, Curbed, 23 July 2026
Definition of cheap
Adjective
  • Headline figures such as tasks completed, queries handled or hours saved can look impressive while concealing errors, rework, poor customer outcomes and escalating operating expenses.
    — Bernard Marr, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026
  • Habits like poor sleep, heavy drinking and smoking often make things worse, and work pressure, financial strain and caring for aging parents can compound the effects.
    — Samantha Agate, Kansas City Star, 27 July 2026
Definition of poor
Verb
  • Furthermore, the Iranians are far from disabled, disarmed and incapacitated.
    — Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 26 July 2026
  • According to the complaint, Willis has been left completely incapacitated since a brief stint at Summit Malibu in early 2024, unable to move or communicate beyond occasionally opening her eyes and sometimes grunting.
    — Gustavo Turner, HollywoodReporter, 24 July 2026
Definition of incapacitate
Adjective
  • Stuck behind Piastri for the first and second race stints, Norris felt his pace was being compromised by dirty air — the wake from one car that causes a loss in downforce and worse handling for one following closely — coming off his teammate’s car.
    — Luke Smith, New York Times, 27 July 2026
  • The dirty vegan takes a different kick, with kale noodles in a savory, creamy vegan broth topped with corn, steamed tofu, rolled tofu skin, sliced green onions and seasonal vegetables.
    — Justin Brown, AJC.com, 26 July 2026
Definition of dirty
Adjective
  • There is a difference, however, between the default belief that certain predictions are wrong and the default belief that certain predictions are embarrassing.
    — Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 25 July 2026
  • There’s a right way and a wrong way to use digital assets such as bitcoin for diversification, financial advisors and market analysts said.
    — Greg Iacurci,Annie Nova, CNBC, 25 July 2026
Definition of wrong

Browse Nearby Words

lambskins
lame
lamebrain
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Cite this Entry

“Lame.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lame. Accessed 28 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of lame for Spanish Speakers

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