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

Supporters hope for a vote during the post-election lame-duck session, potentially as part of a year-end package. — Shira Lazar, Washington Post, 29 Sep. 2026 Even as Swift shines in the light of holy matrimony, there are still plenty of lame dudes out there for Taylor to crush across three-minute pop masterstrokes — and, God-willing, there always will be. — Jason Lipshutz, Billboard, 25 Sep. 2026 As Trump slides toward lame-duck status, cleavages within the group and between it and traditional progressives are becoming more salient. — David A. Graham, The Atlantic, 18 Sep. 2026 The next big issue for me was that Axl shimmied from side to side with an unusual snakelike move that struck me as effeminate and lame. — Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 15 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for lame

Recent Examples of Synonyms for lame

Adjective

Yet Scudder, a progressive thirty-six-year-old real-estate analyst raised by lesbians on a purple-hull-pea farm in East Texas, assumed the post in 2025, and has been in a rush to reverse his party’s pitiful showings.

— Jesús Rodríguez, New Yorker, 27 Oct. 2026
Just 7% of Democrats approve, along with a pitiful 12% of independents.

— Jon Keller, CBS News, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of pitiful

Adjective

These efforts should be lauded because lawyering solely to please Trump without an iota of reasonableness according to prescribed rules of law to which all lawyers must adhered is simply unacceptable.

— Miles J. Zaremski, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 Oct. 2026
But critics, like the Civic Federation, are denouncing the budget plan, calling it an unacceptable abdication of responsibility to meet the fiscal realities facing the city.

— Adam Harrington, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of unacceptable

Verb

The destruction of South Korea’s memory chip fabs would compound this tragedy and cripple the global economy.

— Dan Blumenthal, Washington Post, 27 Oct. 2026
Mendel argued that Zelenskyy's promise to bring peace at the time stands in stark contrast to the devastating war that has crippled the country and defined much of his presidency.

— Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 25 Oct. 2026

Definition of cripple

Adjective

The experience highlighted a central problem in warship procurement; selecting an existing design does not necessarily guarantee faster or cheaper construction if the customer substantially changes its architecture.

— Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 29 Oct. 2026
The commercial space industry looked forward to abundant, cheap launches.

— Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 29 Oct. 2026

Definition of cheap

Adjective

Disease that has spread to those organs is associated with poorer treatment outcomes.

— Annika Kim Constantino, CNBC, 24 Oct. 2026
They were frustrated with teacher shortages and poor conditions at schools, including overcrowded classrooms and dilapidated buildings.

— James Cirrone , Brittany Miller, FOXNews.com, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of poor

Adjective

Floor around the fryers, floor under and around the drive thru drink station and floor under and around stationary equipment is visibly dirty.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 2 Nov. 2026
Using the same sponge for every surface and spill could be making your kitchen dirtier every time.

— Sarah Everett, The Spruce, 2 Nov. 2026

Definition of dirty

Adjective

The first step is to ask the lender to reconsider the value if the appraisal overlooked a recent sale or got the details wrong.

— Gary Singer, Sun Sentinel, 29 Oct. 2026
Schubarth said that statements from prosecutors that he was motivated to create a hybrid ram with giant horns in order to upsell to commercial shooting operations are wrong.

— Andrew McKean, Outdoor Life, 29 Oct. 2026