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
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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
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of lame
Zach Dean Outkick, FOXNews.com, 24 Apr. 2026
This idea that just sitting with your face buried in your phone when you’re supposed to be in a social setting—that’s lame, right?
—Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 24 Apr. 2026
But through a combination of legal legerdemain and a lame-duck power grab in Sacramento, the Democratic maps went into place anyway.
—Chris Stirewalt, The Hill, 24 Apr. 2026
The band felt embarrassed wearing those lame outfits.
—Literary Hub, 21 Apr. 2026
Full lame-duck seasons like the one coming up here are rare; and for good reason.
—Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 19 Apr. 2026
By embracing a lame-duck year, Kerr shifted the power dynamic.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 18 Apr. 2026
Unlike most lame-duck governors, California’s Gavin Newsom seems ascendant.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 15 Apr. 2026
There wasn’t much the voters could do with a menu so lame.
—Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 15 Apr. 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
And getting all giddy over some lame light beer that has apple juice poured into to is just plain embarrassing.
—Zach Dean Outkick, FOXNews.com, 24 Apr. 2026
This idea that just sitting with your face buried in your phone when you’re supposed to be in a social setting—that’s lame, right?
—Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 24 Apr. 2026
But through a combination of legal legerdemain and a lame-duck power grab in Sacramento, the Democratic maps went into place anyway.
—Chris Stirewalt, The Hill, 24 Apr. 2026
The band felt embarrassed wearing those lame outfits.
—Literary Hub, 21 Apr. 2026
Full lame-duck seasons like the one coming up here are rare; and for good reason.
—Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 19 Apr. 2026
By embracing a lame-duck year, Kerr shifted the power dynamic.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 18 Apr. 2026
Unlike most lame-duck governors, California’s Gavin Newsom seems ascendant.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 15 Apr. 2026
There wasn’t much the voters could do with a menu so lame.
—Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 15 Apr. 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
-
Written as a response to the utopian fiction that consumed Russia’s intelligentsia at the time, Notes from Underground is a mirror that reflects the ugliest, most pitiful aspects of humanity back at us.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
29 Apr. 2026
-
These two beacons of truth and connoisseurs of mess have been bonded for over a decade, sharing the traumas of a crappy Boston dorm room and a pitiful Brooklyn dating scene.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
21 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Our current contractor’s price proposal and timeline to finish the bridge was unreasonable and unacceptable.—
Katie Thomson,
Baltimore Sun,
6 May 2026
-
What happened was unacceptable.—
Teresa Liu,
Daily News,
4 May 2026
Verb
-
That has crippled Iran’s two biggest non-oil exports, and higher prices have affected everything from plastics to pipes, to fabrics and packaging for groceries like milk, butter and cheese.—
Amir-Hussein Radjy,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Apr. 2026
-
That has crippled Iran’s two biggest non-oil exports, and higher prices have affected everything from plastics to pipes, to fabrics and packaging for groceries like milk, butter and cheese.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Cars were exciting, efficient, and relatively cheap.—
Oren Peleg,
New Yorker,
9 May 2026
-
Its aggressive marketing strategy persuades users to buy a vast range of items at cheaper prices.—
Alexander Onukwue,
semafor.com,
8 May 2026
Adjective
-
Injuries to key players on the Amazin’s contributed to some poor numbers as well.—
Fiifi Frimpong,
New York Daily News,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Although poor students are disproportionately likely to receive special education in New York City, well-off disabled kids are the ones most acutely driving up the budget.—
Marc Novicoff,
The Atlantic,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
One shot him with a 40-millimeter round, which is designed to incapacitate people without killing them.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
2 May 2026
-
Norman Hunter, 48, of Dolton, also was struck by a car while incapacitated, the medical examiner’s office said.—
Evy Lewis,
Chicago Tribune,
1 May 2026
Adjective
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The drinks attract younger women, typically age 16 to 35, and are aimed at health-conscious customers that don’t want Swig’s more caloric and filling dirty sodas, CEO Alex Dunn said.—
Jordan Valinsky,
CNN Money,
28 Apr. 2026
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That wasn’t the only utensil stored in a dirty place.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Wallace and her collaborators scrambled to get into the water; the whale was swimming in the wrong direction, toward some docks.—
Jessica Camille Aguirre,
New Yorker,
2 May 2026
-
What most people get wrong is conflating the theme of the exhibition with the dress code for the evening.—
José Criales-Unzueta,
Vanity Fair,
2 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Lame.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lame. Accessed 9 May. 2026.
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