1
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
4
5

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 That’s not a bad departure from a lousy 0-2 start on the road. Charlotte Observer, 22 Sep. 2025 Way too cheap, our margins are lousy, you guys are idiots. Neil Senturia, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Sep. 2025 South Florida has lived these lousy afternoons all week — and Friday’s forecast calls for more of the same. Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 12 Sep. 2025 Fishers are still working to recuperate from a lousy 2022 season. Andrew Watman, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for lousy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lousy
Adjective
  • Another main issue is that the power grind itself now being the endgame is no longer a good motivator to play, nor is the Tier system with 3s not much different than 4s or 5s, and all past weapons being somewhat lame now outside of that system entirely.
    Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 13 Sep. 2025
  • Paine proposed a lump sum payment of £15 (£2,306 in 2025) to everyone reaching the age of twenty-one and a £10 (£1,537 in 2025) annual pension for the blind and lame, as well as for those fifty and older.
    Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 7 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • My adolescent cells floated away from poor me and traded places with his.
    Betty Gilpin, HollywoodReporter, 9 Oct. 2025
  • Women disproportionately suffer chronic disease, on average spend 25% more time in poor health than men, and, on average, experience the final 12 to 14 years of their lives in frail health.
    Maria Shriver, Time, 9 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • That's a terrible average to bet your life on.
    Angela Andaloro, PEOPLE, 4 Oct. 2025
  • When his estranged daughter Sam tracks him down, in a last-ditch effort to dig her way out of serious trouble, Mickey must choose between rekindling his relationship with his daughter in the face of a terrible tragedy or pursuing a once-in-a-lifetime career opportunity.
    Matt Grobar, Deadline, 3 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Multiverse’s argument that compressed models significantly cut energy use might also not hold up over time, because cheaper, more accessible AI models will likely attract billions more users.
    Vivienne Walt, Fortune, 9 Oct. 2025
  • The judge While Royal Caribbean’s attorney dispute the rebuttal, the matter now falls to Judge Shaw-Wlider, who will make a ruling that will be closely watched and could have important consequences, especially in a digital age when cameras are smaller and cheaper.
    Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 9 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • In a post shared on Wednesday morning, Jayapal claimed agents have pulled children from their beds during nighttime raids, fired on civilians in broad daylight, and deployed tear gas on crowded streets.
    Amanda Castro, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Oct. 2025
  • According to a poll from the University of California, Berkeley released in late August, Porter led the crowded field of Democrats with 17 percent support.
    Julia Manchester, The Hill, 8 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • The Browns have scored the second-fewest points in the NFL, ahead of only the pitiful Tennessee Titans.
    Jason Lloyd, New York Times, 28 Sep. 2025
  • On the side of the highway, Wilson cuts a pitiful, solitary figure.
    Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Violence anywhere, especially in a place of worship, is unacceptable.
    James Bickerton, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025
  • Other Republicans — especially in the House — see it as an unacceptable expansion of President Barack Obama’s signature health care law, which Republicans have tried to eliminate or cut back since it was enacted 15 years ago.
    Preston Fore, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • While that might be great for the profitability in real estate, in consumer goods and apparel, that’s horrible.
    Alexandra Harrell, Sourcing Journal, 6 Oct. 2025
  • In the past, the Soviet Union had a horrible impact on Georgian wine.
    Jessica Jungbauer, Vogue, 6 Oct. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Lousy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lousy. Accessed 10 Oct. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on lousy

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!