1
as in lame
arousing or deserving of one's loathing and disgust
why, you lousy cheater!
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in poor
falling short of a standard
I actually play a pretty lousy game of tennis
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in terrible
extremely unsatisfactory
the restaurant served a lousy meal that we shouldn't have had to pay for
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in cheap
of low quality
a tacky store selling lousy souvenirs
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in crowded
possessing or covered with great numbers or amounts of something specified
a Manhattan neighborhood that is lousy with wannabe actors
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 lousy
Yet, all across this big world, lousy encounters continue.
—
Alex Abad-Santos, Vox, 3 May 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for lousy
Alex Abad-Santos, Vox, 3 May 2025
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
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
-
Transgender kids, especially under the current president, are facing terrible rights losses and bigotry.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
10 May 2025
-
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
Adjective
-
These technologies could be safer, cheaper, and offer higher energy storage.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
21 May 2025
-
All around the city are free and cheap concerts and events that anyone can sit back and enjoy.—
Joseph Hernandez,
Kansas City Star,
21 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
-
Instead of calling bringing employees back into crowded offices, the administration should be using telework as a way to close the budget shortfall, said Service Employees International Union Local 1000, in a Thursday statement.—
William Melhado,
Sacbee.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
Cite this Entry
“Lousy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lousy. Accessed 24 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share