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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 Honk: Why does Caltrans leave that plastic film on its green highway signs that dissolves over time and comes off in pieces — and just looks lousy? Jim Radcliffe, Oc Register, 25 July 2025 The crowds and noise and lousy music suggested to me that discos were the sorts of places where such vortexes were born and should, therefore, be avoided at all costs. Jody Mamone, Hartford Courant, 25 July 2025 Despite the lousy weather, that appearance impressed festival musicians enough to fast-track Guerrero to the top of their director wishlist a decade later. Hannah Edgar, Chicago Tribune, 21 June 2025 Bundles aside, Spotify needs to take on songwriters’ lousy terms because everyone else is compromised. Jeff Rabhan, HollywoodReporter, 16 July 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
  • Additionally, over-saturating with water is a poor choice for these floors.
    Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 16 Aug. 2025
  • Specifically, poor capital allocation decisions have destroyed significant value.
    Kenneth Squire, CNBC, 16 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Whether your team is in the middle of a winning run or mired in terrible form, five minutes looking at the standings can convince you that a hundred different futures are possible.
    Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2025
  • While the latter is known for its legendarily terrible English localization, both of these were highly innovative horizontal scrolling shmups for their time.
    Ollie Barder, Forbes.com, 14 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Yet 80% of charging happens not at public plazas but in garages, where electricity is cheap and parking is certain.
    Carlos Georgescu, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2025
  • The new numbers suggest that slowing rent increases and cheaper gas are offsetting some impacts of President Donald Trump's sweeping tariffs.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 13 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • That history gives the band an edge—and credibility—in a crowded market.
    Javier Hasse, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2025
  • Unlike other tests that can take several minutes or require privacy to use, this method is fast and low-profile, perfect for crowded clubs, bars, or house parties.
    Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 6 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • This negative sentiment was also felt on both sides of the Atlantic, given their pitiful plummet in popularity.
    Brie Stimson , Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 25 July 2025
  • For their part, France produced a pitiful display of football, which deserved nothing less than elimination.
    Michael Cox, New York Times, 20 July 2025
Adjective
  • Just totally unacceptable and mind-blowing for that kind of mistake.
    Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 13 Aug. 2025
  • The critiques have only intensified with each year that passes since the team’s last Super Bowl victory in 1996, with Jones calling the drought unacceptable at the NFL owners meeting earlier this year.
    Lawrence Dow, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Soroka is a combined 3-18 with a 4.81 ERA the last two seasons with the White Sox and Nationals, two horrible teams.
    Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 5 Aug. 2025
  • Xenomorphs in their various forms show up early and semi-often, along with several new beasts with their own deliciously horrible ways of killing.
    Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 5 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Lousy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lousy. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.

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