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as in poor
falling short of a standard I actually play a pretty lousy game of tennis

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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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 lousy For Soto, this was what qualified as a pretty lousy stretch of ball. Sam Settleman, New York Times, 3 May 2025 The reasons for consumers’ ongoing lousy mood have changed over the years: Obviously the pandemic caused sentiment to fall in 2020. Michael Foster, Forbes.com, 26 Apr. 2025 Two elite closers looking anything but on Wednesday afternoon, pitching the same lousy 9th. Mike Lupica, New York Daily News, 12 Apr. 2025 This mess and the price tag for a lousy deal to clean it up are the sort of thing that gave rise to the chaotic Department of Government Efficiency and a broad appetite for slashing government spending. The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 8 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for lousy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lousy
Adjective
  • As holidays go, however, Flag Day can feel a bit lame.
    Kevin Fisher-Paulson, San Francisco Chronicle, 8 June 2021
  • My 11-year-old loved watching the pups roll balls and play a giant floor piano, but for non-dog owners (guilty as charged), parts of the series—like dressing dogs in little hats and outfits for a Parisian fashion show—feel lame.
    Tim Neville, Outside Online, 23 Nov. 2020
Adjective
  • Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns each added 23 points and OG Anunoby bounced back from two poor performances by scoring 20 for the Knicks, who can win the series Wednesday night at Boston.
    Brian Mahoney, Baltimore Sun, 13 May 2025
  • Boston built big second-half leads on New York in both Games 1 and 2 at home, but squandered them due to uncharacteristically poor 3-point shooting.
    Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 May 2025
Adjective
  • Such legislation is meant to destabilize Pakistan’s internal politics, which is in no one’s interests, except those who promoted such a terrible idea in the first place.
    Christopher Shays, New York Daily News, 10 May 2025
  • Transgender kids, especially under the current president, are facing terrible rights losses and bigotry.
    Letters to the Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 10 May 2025
Adjective
  • Tesla troubles: Amid tough year, Tesla releases a new, cheaper version of the Model Y Is the 2025 Tesla Model Y a good SUV to get?
    Charles Singh, USA Today, 10 May 2025
  • Residents near her office at Alhambra Boulevard and Q Street compete to get cheaper parking that doesn’t charge at an hourly rate.
    Ishani Desai, Sacbee.com, 9 May 2025
Adjective
  • The 124th Running of The Dinner Party Stakes A crowded field turned toward the final stretch of the 1 1/8-mile turf run, the last race before the evening’s main event, before Fort Washington pulled away with Cash Equity surging.
    Taylor Lyons, Baltimore Sun, 17 May 2025
  • These animals were housed in crowded stables, transported in train cars across the country and shipped overseas.
    John Drake, Forbes.com, 16 May 2025
Adjective
  • But the rates were pitiful: $9.87 for a 13-mile trip, $19.97 for a 25-mile trip and so on.
    Eli Tan, New York Times, 14 May 2025
  • Israel’s performance in climate mitigation, moving to renewable energies, is pitiful — just 12% when some countries are 70%.
    JTA Staff Report, Sun Sentinel, 5 May 2025
Adjective
  • All these attacks are unacceptable, and this isn't just an American problem.
    Mandalit del Barco, NPR, 13 May 2025
  • That should be unacceptable to American negotiators.
    Benjamin Weinthal, FOXNews.com, 12 May 2025
Adjective
  • However, her tragic demise spooks and haunts Jen, since her death is incredibly horrible and sad, rocking the whole Capesode community.
    Lisa Stardust, People.com, 14 May 2025
  • Jurors viewed for a fifth time in two days the video footage of the horrible beating that followed.
    Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 13 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Lousy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lousy. Accessed 22 May. 2025.

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