louse

noun

ˈlau̇s How to pronounce louse (audio)
Definition of lousenext
as in bastard
a person whose behavior is offensive to others I can't believe you're willing to spend time with that lying louse

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 louse No, the convolution of the weaving story and a principal character who is such a louse can be grating. — David John Chávez, Mercury News, 6 Oct. 2025 One of my favorites is the tongue louse, which usually comes in through the gills of the host fish (something like a red snapper), eats the tongue, and then takes its place. — Richard Edwards, Space.com, 12 Aug. 2025 In reality, Rothstein was a louse, forever at odds with his Orthodox father, Abraham, and upright brother Harry. — Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 4 Aug. 2025 The reason there is a difference between their number of vine and rootstock varieties is due to the subterranean phylloxera louse that wiped out huge swaths of the world’s grape vines during the mid 19th century. — Tom Mullen, Forbes.com, 23 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for louse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for louse
  1. jerk
  2. dog
  3. clown
  4. skunk
  5. rat
Noun
  • Bella’s childhood friend Angus (Jake Simmance), a corporate jerk, condescendingly probes Johnny about his career.
    — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 2 Oct. 2026
  • There was significant excitement over the first-look footage revealing perhaps the world’s biggest movie star transforming himself to become a portly, gray-haired jerk in an offbeat feature focusing on climate change.
    — Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of jerk
Noun
  • Sheriff’s cadaver dogs, deputies with shovels and a backhoe were seen at work.
    — Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Lead and cadmium exposure has been linked to canine cancer, a leading cause of death in dogs.
    — Sandee LaMotte, CNN Money, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of dog
Noun
  • The brand featured a thematic clown mascot and the beloved product was sold in famously reusable glassware.
    — Joey Skladany, Southern Living, 28 Sep. 2026
  • What followed were Zoom-inclusive mediation meetings, the revelation of tens of thousands of dollars of debt, and something about clown school.
    — Sam Stone, Bon Appetit Magazine, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of clown
Noun
  • What Skunk Burrows Look Like For a larger animal, holes that skunks dig while foraging are relatively small.
    — Michelle Mastro, Martha Stewart, 24 Sep. 2026
  • Rabies is spread through bites and scratches from infected animals — most often bats, foxes, raccoons and skunks — and is almost always fatal once symptoms begin, though a four-to-five-shot vaccine given after exposure is nearly 100% effective.
    — The Sacramento Bee staff, Sacbee.com, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of skunk
Noun
  • For this argument Thomasine was jailed—stuffed into a damp, stinking, deadly stone cell crawling with rats and lice—to force her to change her beliefs.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Other cities, like Boston and New York, are also leaning into human rat education.
    — Ava Berger, NPR, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of rat

Phrases Containing louse

Browse Nearby Words

lounging (around or about)
louse
loused up
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Louse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/louse. Accessed 5 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on louse

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about louse

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