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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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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

Adjective

On paper, some of the six, all of whom are far-right conservatives, have enviable educational backgrounds, but the record has proven that each one is openly political and willing to rubber-stamp nearly all of DeSantis’ lame and unconstitutional policies. — Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 20 June 2026 In November 2008 an errant air strike, conducted under auspices of a lame-duck Bush administration, killed 37 civilians who were at a wedding party in Wech Baghtu, Afghanistan. — Ta-Nehisi Coates, Vanity Fair, 15 June 2026 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 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

The plan is to then gradually introduce louder sounds, Coen added, to discover the level at which a sonic boom noise goes from being acceptable to unacceptable.

— Jacopo Prisco, CNN Money, 6 Aug. 2026
Given the national security stakes, the prospect of foreign governments being able to suspend access to critical models at a whim started to feel like an unacceptable risk.

— Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 5 Aug. 2026

Definition of unacceptable

Verb

Africa desperately needs them, crippled by a fundamental lack of traditional national film funding incentives.

— John Hopewell, Variety, 5 Aug. 2026
Winds cripple aerial firefighting Nearly 500 firefighters and 23 aircraft were deployed, but gale-force winds drove flames through dry forest and crippled the response, preventing some aircraft from reaching the sea to collect water.

— Elena Becatoros, Los Angeles Times, 2 Aug. 2026

Definition of cripple

Adjective

Its latest pickup, the Ford Fathom, will cost a downright cheap $28,350, which should set it up to be a massive seller.

— Michael Ballaban, CNN Money, 7 Aug. 2026
Which explains why even modern-day Russia has recently loaded up with the cheapest possible foreign labor from former Soviet satellite states.

— Rachel Marsden, Hartford Courant, 6 Aug. 2026

Definition of cheap

Adjective

But tensions have opened up between data center boosters and some community organizations that want to see more jobs and economic benefits go to local residents, especially predominantly poor Hispanic farm and food processing workers.

— Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN Money, 11 Aug. 2026
Conventional wisdom usually attributes those failures to changing markets, disruptive competitors, or poor leadership.

— Rodger Dean Duncan, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2026

Definition of poor

Verb

Conclusion The world’s deadliest snakes use different biological weapons to incapacitate their victims.

— Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 6 Aug. 2026
Some people with severe cases – with a high fever or incapacitating diarrhea that is bloody – may need to get care at a hospital.

— Jen Christensen, CNN Money, 6 Aug. 2026

Definition of incapacitate

Adjective

The agent that flagged a bad clause in June stops flagging it in July, and nobody did anything wrong, and nothing broke.

— Jason Snyder, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2026
Using the wrong type of cleaning product for your tub’s material can result in scratches, discoloration, or chips.

— Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 8 Aug. 2026

Definition of wrong

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“Lame.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lame. Accessed 11 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of lame

adjective

verb

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