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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 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 About 5,000 years ago, a bacterium that was primarily transmitted via ticks made a switch to louse. — Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 22 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for louse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for louse
  1. jerk
  2. dog
  3. clown
  4. skunk
  5. rat
Noun
  • According to children’s program manager Fedeline Julien, who has worked for Beaches since 1999, the area where Treasure Beach stands used to be dedicated to beach parties, team member residences, and the jerk truck.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Sep. 2026
  • In late August, Mayor Mamdani hosted a celebration of Caribbean culture at Gracie Mansion with plenty of patties and jerk chicken to go around.
    — Reshma B, VIBE.com, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of jerk
Noun
  • My therapy dog and I accompanied grieving families to ground zero in the days following the attacks.
    — Torie Bosch, STAT, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Above and below the main narrative of the Bayeux Tapestry are two strips filled with ancient beasts, including tail-chasing dogs and tightly knotted swans.
    — John Phipps, New Yorker, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of dog
Noun
  • Target recently received backlash for 'offensive' Halloween costume This comes on the heels of Target apologizing in late August for a Halloween circus clown costume that critics said appeared to conjure Blackface and 19th-century minstrel shows.
    — Gabe Hauari, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Cam Schlittler, no stranger to Boston beef, used an emoji to call Flemming a clown on an Instagram post.
    — Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of clown
Noun
  • Luckily, there are plenty of natural and humane ways to keep skunks from digging up your yard.
    — Michelle Mastro, Martha Stewart, 5 Sep. 2026
  • The two skunk sisters were born on April 20 at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, where their mom, Lily, is an animal ambassador, according to the aviary.
    — Finch Walker, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of skunk
Noun
  • The rock kids, the funk kids, the disco-ers, the club rats are all fleetingly conjoined by one pair of highly attuned ears loitering on the streets.
    — Vinson Cunningham, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2026
  • Moore begins with a whisper and builds to a roar as Mona improvises a manic rant that involves rats and the plague.
    — Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Times, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of rat

Phrases Containing louse

Browse Nearby Words

lounging (around or about)
louse
loused up
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Cite this Entry

“Louse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/louse. Accessed 15 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on louse

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about louse

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