LAME Synonyms: 322 Similar and Opposite Words

lame 1 of 2

adjective

ˈlām

Definition of lame

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

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

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

Democrats have called it an unacceptable gift from a foreign government that is barred by the Constitution, as what is called an emolument.

— Bart Jansen, USA Today, 8 July 2026
Should England go on to win their quarterfinal or entire tournament, their run will be tainted by this scandal, forever laden with an asterisk over this unacceptable atrocity.

— Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 7 July 2026

Definition of unacceptable

Verb

Data loss via staff cuts Widespread staff cuts starting in early 2025 across the Department of Health and Human Services, which houses the CDC, crippled much of the agency’s data collection and dissemination.

— John Kubale, The Conversation, 8 July 2026
Florida didn’t have the cap space to work out the shorter term deal without crippling its ability to make other moves this offseason to enhance the roster.

— Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 3 July 2026

Definition of cripple

Adjective

But the breaking point came when his wife refused to let their young children near any of his half-century-old vehicles, which lacked air bags and the safety features standard in even the cheapest modern cars.

— Zachary Hansen, AJC.com, 10 July 2026
As launch gets cheaper and hardware more standardized, companies can reach into space without having to master or even own the hardware.

— Charlotte Kiang, Forbes.com, 9 July 2026

Definition of cheap

Adjective

Prolonged exposure to heat can lead to insufficient or poor sleep, compromising the immune system, increasing the risk for cardiovascular disease and diminishing cognitive performance.

— Adriana Pérez, Chicago Tribune, 13 July 2026
On top of this, subterranean drip systems often clog with mineral deposits, sediment, and algae, which Nad warns may eventually require repairs or replacement of portions of the system, particularly in areas with hard water or poor filtration.

— Kamron Sanders, The Spruce, 13 July 2026

Definition of poor

Verb

Last August, Parithad was catapulted into the position of CEO, after a court deemed Chuchat legally incapacitated.

— Angelica Ang, Fortune, 13 July 2026
The driver hits Leatherface in the head with a wrench, incapacitating him long enough for the driver to run away and Sally to jump into the cab of a passing pickup truck.

— Jordana Rosenfeld, Encyclopedia Britannica, 10 July 2026

Definition of incapacitate

Adjective

Under rules brought in for the World Cup, the reviewable decisions and incidents now include mistaken identity when the referee shows a yellow or red card but clearly penalises the wrong player of either team.

— Stuart James, New York Times, 12 July 2026
Even when Romanzy goes off on how stupid and ugly Caleb is — and gossips that his parents abandoned him because something must be wrong with him — Mary goes along with it.

— Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 11 July 2026

Definition of wrong

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Style

“Lame.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lame. Accessed 14 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of lame

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