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
In my view, Democrat Hillary Clinton wasn’t very likable in 2016 and ran a lousy campaign.
—
Los Angeles Times, 4 May 2026
Phenomenal world-of-mouth is more than making up for generally lousy reviews (its Rotten Tomatoes critics score is 40 percent).
—Pamela McClintock, HollywoodReporter, 26 Apr. 2026
They’re expected to be lousy this coming season.
—Greg Cote
april 26, Miami Herald, 26 Apr. 2026
Americans still feel lousy about the economy and worry that the US-Israeli war with Iran will continue to push up prices.
—Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 24 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for lousy
Los Angeles Times, 4 May 2026
Phenomenal world-of-mouth is more than making up for generally lousy reviews (its Rotten Tomatoes critics score is 40 percent).
—Pamela McClintock, HollywoodReporter, 26 Apr. 2026
They’re expected to be lousy this coming season.
—Greg Cote
april 26, Miami Herald, 26 Apr. 2026
Americans still feel lousy about the economy and worry that the US-Israeli war with Iran will continue to push up prices.
—Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 24 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for lousy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lousy
Adjective
-
And getting all giddy over some lame light beer that has apple juice poured into to is just plain embarrassing.—
Zach Dean OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
24 Apr. 2026
-
This idea that just sitting with your face buried in your phone when you’re supposed to be in a social setting—that’s lame, right?—
Charlie Warzel,
The Atlantic,
24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Harper opened a small dance studio, on Forty-sixth Street; business was poor until Bradley was hired and revamped Delroy’s act.—
Brian Seibert,
New Yorker,
13 May 2026
-
Still vehicle electronics can be damaged from reverse polarity, poor or wrong connection points or voltage spikes from improper equipment.—
Hartford Courant,
Hartford Courant,
12 May 2026
Adjective
-
Residents describe ‘a terrible night’ More than 30 people were injured in the apartment building collapse, while emergency workers rescued 28 residents, Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said.—
Samya Kullab,
Los Angeles Times,
14 May 2026
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And some were not kind to him on social media following the terrible first round.—
Dan Zaksheske OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
14 May 2026
Adjective
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The reason all of this is happening, probably more than any other, is that clipping is cheap.—
Lane Brown,
Vulture,
15 May 2026
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Surprisingly the most expensive hairpiece so far has been Attenborough’s, which Fortune reveals was a hybrid of a cheap £20 ($26) wig at the back combined with tens of man-hours knotting individual strands of hair onto a lace front to create the centenarian’s familiar pate.—
K.J. Yossman,
Variety,
15 May 2026
Adjective
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Hilton and Becerra have been neck and neck in recent June primary polls, often leading a crowded field of gubernatorial candidates.—
James Ward,
USA Today,
15 May 2026
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Curated by Our Editors In the latter outbreak, a person who was likely infected by a rodent and had fever symptoms attended a crowded birthday party with around 100 other people for 90 minutes.—
Tanya Lewis,
Scientific American,
13 May 2026
Adjective
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There’s a mentality problem — that’s highlighted by a pitiful return of just one point out of a possible 24 away from home this season against teams in the top nine.—
James Pearce,
New York Times,
16 May 2026
-
Will the harsh weather mean poor growth and pitiful harvests?—
Gemma Johnstone,
The Spruce,
8 May 2026
Adjective
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For a city in the grip of a housing crisis, that delay was unacceptable.—
Michelle de la Uz,
New York Daily News,
13 May 2026
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Bans on unacceptable-risk AI have applied since February 2025, according to the European Commission.—
Chas Newkey-Burden,
TheWeek,
11 May 2026
Adjective
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That is a really horrible thing.—
David Chiu,
Forbes.com,
10 May 2026
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The Virginia Supreme Court has just struck down the Democrats’ horrible gerrymander.—
Justin Papp,
CNBC,
8 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Lousy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lousy. Accessed 17 May. 2026.
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