1
as in lame
arousing or deserving of one's loathing and disgust
why, you lousy cheater!
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in cheap
of low quality
a tacky store selling lousy souvenirs
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of lousy
There’s no shortage of dispiriting news, but Wednesday’s gutting of the Washington Post staff was particularly lousy.
—
Erik Pedersen, Oc Register, 6 Feb. 2026
Think of Arraez as a lineup lengthener first, then worry about his potential to be a generationally lousy defense later.
—Grant Brisbee, New York Times, 1 Feb. 2026
There is a lot of ground not covered here, but the long and short of it is, this cat-and-mouse thriller is too predictable and its two main leads are a rather lousy detective and an equally unimpressive killer.
—Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Wind made conditions even chillier and the overnight cold refroze roads early Monday in a cruel reprise of the weekend’s lousy travel weather.
—Kate Brumback, Los Angeles Times, 26 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for lousy
Erik Pedersen, Oc Register, 6 Feb. 2026
Think of Arraez as a lineup lengthener first, then worry about his potential to be a generationally lousy defense later.
—Grant Brisbee, New York Times, 1 Feb. 2026
There is a lot of ground not covered here, but the long and short of it is, this cat-and-mouse thriller is too predictable and its two main leads are a rather lousy detective and an equally unimpressive killer.
—Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Wind made conditions even chillier and the overnight cold refroze roads early Monday in a cruel reprise of the weekend’s lousy travel weather.
—Kate Brumback, Los Angeles Times, 26 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for lousy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lousy
Adjective
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Saying the house is like a character too sounds a bit lame.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Feb. 2026
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That huge war chest would be especially remarkable amassed by a lame-duck president.—
Susan Page,
USA Today,
16 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Still, the storm will provide another test for the Wu administration, which was criticized for its poor snow removal results following last month’s nor’easter.—
Gayla Cawley,
Boston Herald,
24 Feb. 2026
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The district’s poor spending practices and a broken culture long precede Allen’s leadership, according trustees and other parties.—
Jennah Pendleton,
Sacbee.com,
24 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The question was about the student section’s harassment of former Spartan Xavier Booker, which seemed like a legitimate query considering Booker had a terrible game.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Feb. 2026
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The move was expected because Hill, who played for the Chiefs from 2016-‘21 before being traded to the Dolphins, is recovering from a terrible knee injury.—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
19 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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What really matters is if the tech can be scaled, is energy-dense enough to complete, and can prove cheap at an industrial scale.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
21 Feb. 2026
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Although this pencil is the cheapest of the bunch, the formula lasts and lasts.—
Alanna Martine Kilkeary,
Glamour,
20 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The booking reinforces the festival’s pivot toward industry-defining names in an increasingly crowded festival field.—
Ana Gutierrez,
Austin American Statesman,
19 Feb. 2026
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The crowded field has some Democrats worried about the possibility of both Hilton and Bianco making it into the runoff, shutting out the party that has controlled the Governor’s Office since 2011 if Democrats split the vote.—
Grace Hase,
Mercury News,
18 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Gallup reached only 50,000 people, a pitiful fraction of The Literary Digest’s awe-inspiring mailbag.—
David Frum,
The Atlantic,
21 Feb. 2026
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Mercy came via a bye week, the pitiful Raiders and an inept Cowboys defense.—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The behavior's unacceptable, and so this is our way to try to end it or stop it, at least here in Manteca.—
Charlie Lapastora,
CBS News,
18 Feb. 2026
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That is completely unacceptable.—
Howard Blume,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Aston Villa 2-1 Leeds Brentford vs Brighton Brighton are playing better than a horrible run of results — one win, six draws, and six defeats in their last 13 Premier League games — suggests.—
Oliver Kay,
New York Times,
20 Feb. 2026
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Probably one of the scenes where Stephen does horrible things to women.—
Jackie Strause,
HollywoodReporter,
18 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Lousy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lousy. Accessed 25 Feb. 2026.
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