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
  • Bates plans to expand that menu in the new brick-and-mortar restaurant, adding dishes like jerk catfish pasta and Louisiana Cajun cream sauce over dirty rice.
    — Joey Schamber, jsonline.com, 8 July 2026
  • For instance, there are glazed pork belly chunks served on crispy tostones, tuna tataki with a jerk-spice rub, and a bright, citrusy conch salad.
    — Chadner Navarro, Travel + Leisure, 29 June 2026
Definition of jerk
Noun
  • Sit, who went by the first name Tony, operated Happy K9 Academy and the dogs were in his care when they were kept in crates in a hot van and died, the district attorney’s office said.
    — Phil Helsel, NBC news, 11 July 2026
  • When an Instagram video with nearly 100 million views likened his appearance to a green onion — its wiry roots standing in as his hair — Haaland responded in the comments with a side-eyeing dog GIF.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 11 July 2026
Definition of dog
Noun
  • Perhaps most astonishingly, the movie manages to make creepy clowns — that shopworn trope — genuinely frightening again.
    — Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 7 July 2026
  • The group demonstrated near the Washington Monument and was met by a few counter protestors, one of which played clown music throughout the majority of the demonstration.
    — Antonio Pequeño IV, Forbes.com, 4 July 2026
Definition of clown
Noun
  • Compared to skunks and coyotes, raccoons were the quickest to discover that tapping the left button would release food, with most of the eight raccoon subjects unlocking the puzzle within one or two attempts.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 July 2026
  • For instance, inside the skunks’ pen, a cat litter box was filled with dirt, leaves and other natural substrate.
    — Caleb Lunetta, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 July 2026
Definition of skunk
Noun
  • Vivani last year said pre-clinical data on the semaglutide implant in rats showed roughly 20% weight loss for over 6 months, with the potential for annual dosing.
    — Annika Kim Constantino, CNBC, 11 July 2026
  • Scabby, the inflatable rat, quickly made an appearance at the site.
    — D. T. Max, New Yorker, 11 July 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 17 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on louse

Nglish: Translation of louse for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about louse

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