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
-
There’s a mentality problem — that’s highlighted by a pitiful return of just one point out of a possible 24 away from home this season against teams in the top nine.—
James Pearce,
New York Times,
16 May 2026
-
Will the harsh weather mean poor growth and pitiful harvests?—
Gemma Johnstone,
The Spruce,
8 May 2026
Adjective
-
For a city in the grip of a housing crisis, that delay was unacceptable.—
Michelle de la Uz,
New York Daily News,
13 May 2026
-
Bans on unacceptable-risk AI have applied since February 2025, according to the European Commission.—
Chas Newkey-Burden,
TheWeek,
11 May 2026
Verb
-
But his personal and party polls are dismal, crippled by what critics and analysts say has been a series of unforced errors.—
Alexander Smith,
NBC news,
12 May 2026
-
Just a few successful strikes could cripple the region’s oil and gas infrastructure for years if not decades, throwing the world, and the United States, into a prolonged economic crisis.—
Robert Kagan,
The Atlantic,
10 May 2026
Adjective
-
The reason all of this is happening, probably more than any other, is that clipping is cheap.—
Lane Brown,
Vulture,
15 May 2026
-
Surprisingly the most expensive hairpiece so far has been Attenborough’s, which Fortune reveals was a hybrid of a cheap £20 ($26) wig at the back combined with tens of man-hours knotting individual strands of hair onto a lace front to create the centenarian’s familiar pate.—
K.J. Yossman,
Variety,
15 May 2026
Adjective
-
Harper opened a small dance studio, on Forty-sixth Street; business was poor until Bradley was hired and revamped Delroy’s act.—
Brian Seibert,
New Yorker,
13 May 2026
-
Still vehicle electronics can be damaged from reverse polarity, poor or wrong connection points or voltage spikes from improper equipment.—
Hartford Courant,
Hartford Courant,
12 May 2026
Verb
-
The detonation of a nuclear weapon in low-Earth orbit would likely destroy or incapacitate thousands of satellites, disabling critical military and civilian networks providing surveillance and communication services.—
Stephen Clark,
ArsTechnica,
13 May 2026
-
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
Adjective
-
Microwaves seem to get dirty out of nowhere.—
Natalia Gonzalez Blanco Serrano,
The Spruce,
11 May 2026
-
But the dirty secret is most of them are awful.—
Brian Tallerico,
Vulture,
11 May 2026
Adjective
-
The following seasons saw a wrong turn and regression to the point where many supporters gave up.—
Carl Anka,
New York Times,
17 May 2026
-
For most people, this is where the cocktail goes wrong.—
Jason O'Bryan,
Robb Report,
16 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Lame.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lame. Accessed 19 May. 2026.
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