1
as in pitiful
arousing or deserving of one's loathing and disgust
that's a pretty lame way to treat someone
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to cripple
to cause severe or permanent injury to
we were afraid that the horse would be lamed by its horrible fall
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Jeff John Roberts, Fortune, 6 Mar. 2026
Maybe that’s a lame hook, but that, combined with the return of reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, gets them back in their spot.
—Law Murray, New York Times, 2 Mar. 2026
Saying the house is like a character too sounds a bit lame.
—Los Angeles Times, 18 Feb. 2026
That huge war chest would be especially remarkable amassed by a lame-duck president.
—Susan Page, USA Today, 16 Feb. 2026
The lame-duck CEO stayed on for six months, until his contract ended, before the appointment of interim CEO King.
—Kate Armanini, Chicago Tribune, 12 Feb. 2026
And Siegfried keeps trying to understand what’s wrong with this goat that its owner claims is lame.
—Alice Burton, Vulture, 9 Feb. 2026
Gavin Newsom is officially a lame-duck governor, and his final year in office seems increasingly focused on an almost certain campaign for the White House.
—Dan Walters, Mercury News, 28 Jan. 2026
Gavin Newsom is officially a lame-duck governor, and his final year in office seems increasingly focused on an almost certain campaign for the White House.
—Dan Walters, Oc Register, 27 Jan. 2026
Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 19 Feb. 2025
There's nothing watery, limp, or lame about an onion boil.
—Melissa Gray, Southern Living, 21 Nov. 2024
And unlike other bread lames that don’t conceal the razor, this one opens and closes for maximum safety.
—Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 Feb. 2024
The question is, then, how can two lames convince the girls to look their way?
—Vulture, 6 June 2023
Adjective
Smith said the legislation could pass in December, during the lame-duck session of Congress that will follow November’s midterm elections, but that the coming days are critical.
—Jeff John Roberts, Fortune, 6 Mar. 2026
Maybe that’s a lame hook, but that, combined with the return of reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, gets them back in their spot.
—Law Murray, New York Times, 2 Mar. 2026
Saying the house is like a character too sounds a bit lame.
—Los Angeles Times, 18 Feb. 2026
That huge war chest would be especially remarkable amassed by a lame-duck president.
—Susan Page, USA Today, 16 Feb. 2026
The lame-duck CEO stayed on for six months, until his contract ended, before the appointment of interim CEO King.
—Kate Armanini, Chicago Tribune, 12 Feb. 2026
And Siegfried keeps trying to understand what’s wrong with this goat that its owner claims is lame.
—Alice Burton, Vulture, 9 Feb. 2026
Gavin Newsom is officially a lame-duck governor, and his final year in office seems increasingly focused on an almost certain campaign for the White House.
—Dan Walters, Mercury News, 28 Jan. 2026
Gavin Newsom is officially a lame-duck governor, and his final year in office seems increasingly focused on an almost certain campaign for the White House.
—Dan Walters, Oc Register, 27 Jan. 2026
Verb
Additional accessories High-end proofing baskets can come with many other helpful accessories like scrapers, bonus lames and even instructional e-books or DVDs.
—Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 19 Feb. 2025
There's nothing watery, limp, or lame about an onion boil.
—Melissa Gray, Southern Living, 21 Nov. 2024
And unlike other bread lames that don’t conceal the razor, this one opens and closes for maximum safety.
—Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 Feb. 2024
The question is, then, how can two lames convince the girls to look their way?
—Vulture, 6 June 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lame
Adjective
-
Granted, those three performances were pitiful.—
Mike Bianchi,
The Orlando Sentinel,
14 Mar. 2026
-
Gallup reached only 50,000 people, a pitiful fraction of The Literary Digest’s awe-inspiring mailbag.—
David Frum,
The Atlantic,
21 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
As an occasional problem, this would merit a Disapproving Frown — which, for the record, is one step up from a Cold Stare, one step down from a Glare, and at least one step down from yelling, which is unacceptable.—
Judith Martin,
Mercury News,
18 Mar. 2026
-
That the tax sale system is unacceptable.—
A.D. Quig,
Chicago Tribune,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Massive piles of trash with rotting food accumulate in residential areas as the fuel shortage has crippled waste collection services.—
Carmen Sesin,
NBC news,
16 Mar. 2026
-
But that doesn’t mean mathematicians would be crippled with ennui, Litt says.—
Joseph Howlett,
Scientific American,
16 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Unlike rivals giving subscribers a choice of ad-free plans or cheaper tiers with ads, Amazon defaulted to ads for all subscribers to Prime, allowing an opt-out for an extra premium.—
Dade Hayes,
Deadline,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Rivian has been teasing the R2 for a while now, dangling the promise of a smaller, cheaper, more attainable version of its beloved R1S in front of adventure-hungry buyers who couldn’t quite stretch to the $77,000-plus sticker of its halo SUV.—
Kevin Sintumuang,
Outside,
13 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
While youth suicide remains a leading cause of death, the youth suicide rate is down in Colorado, and the number of kids reporting poor mental health also dropped from 23% in 2023 to 14% in 2025.—
Shaun Boyd,
CBS News,
17 Mar. 2026
-
The launch came amid overcast skies and a weather forecast that was reduced to just a 75% chance for good conditions, according to Space Launch Delta 45’s weather squadron, which also noted a moderate risk for poor conditions at the booster landing site.—
Richard Tribou,
The Orlando Sentinel,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
As with other Cosby accusers, Donna Motsinger alleges that Cosby incapacitated her with some sort of drug to facilitate the attack, according to court documents filed in Los Angeles Superior Court.—
Victoria Bekiempis,
Vulture,
18 Mar. 2026
-
The biggest development was the discovery of an audio signal Regan could use to incapacitate the monsters.—
Nick Romano,
Entertainment Weekly,
16 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Article continues below Maul is a dirtier, grungier imagining of the Star Wars universe, leaning into the darker moments of shows like The Clone Wars and Rebels.—
Fran Ruiz,
Space.com,
17 Mar. 2026
-
Workshops offered by Best Cabo Adventures allow visitors to get their hands dirty and make their own clay works—while sampling tequila, of course.—
Latifah Al Hazza,
Condé Nast Traveler,
17 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
This story has been updated to correct wrong information from the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office.—
David Goodhue,
Miami Herald,
14 Mar. 2026
-
So don't go off topic, don't impersonate anyone, and don't get your facts wrong.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
14 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Lame.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lame. Accessed 20 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
