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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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
But a series of lousy draft picks and a lack of an attractive infrastructure — that imaginary permanent practice facility is being built any day now! — have kept them from acquiring the sort of superstars that carry teams in crunch time, the kind of difference-makers this town deserves.
—
Bill Plaschke, Los Angeles Times, 30 June 2025
Worse, this is the sort of thriller in which the stooges hired from Rent-a-Minion are such lousy shots that there’s never any doubt that all of them will eventually be terminated, either by Guy and his makeshift weaponry or their impatient employer.
—Joe Leydon, Variety, 27 June 2025
What human fantasy is more powerful than the do-over, the chance to relive your life and fix your lousy youthful decisions?
—Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 26 June 2025
Since that was a lousy year for markets, that net worth is probably higher now.
—Michael Foster, Forbes.com, 20 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for lousy
Bill Plaschke, Los Angeles Times, 30 June 2025
Worse, this is the sort of thriller in which the stooges hired from Rent-a-Minion are such lousy shots that there’s never any doubt that all of them will eventually be terminated, either by Guy and his makeshift weaponry or their impatient employer.
—Joe Leydon, Variety, 27 June 2025
What human fantasy is more powerful than the do-over, the chance to relive your life and fix your lousy youthful decisions?
—Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 26 June 2025
Since that was a lousy year for markets, that net worth is probably higher now.
—Michael Foster, Forbes.com, 20 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for lousy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lousy
Adjective
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As holidays go, however, Flag Day can feel a bit lame.—
Kevin Fisher-Paulson,
San Francisco Chronicle,
8 June 2021
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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
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Here are the inspection scores and violations for restaurants within the city limits of Arlington for June 29th - July 5th, 2025 A score of 100 is a perfect score and 70 is considered to be extremely poor.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
11 July 2025
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This last group is those with still poor (<50) RS Ratings, but strong (>80) 3-month RS Ratings. a.—
Randy Watts,
Forbes.com,
11 July 2025
Adjective
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And because of that, it’s shielded us from the terrible things that happen downstream in the supply chain.—
Alexandra Harrell,
Sourcing Journal,
8 July 2025
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Vegas bounced back from a terrible loss to the Fever with an 86-68 win over the Sun on Sunday.—
Kilty Cleary,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 July 2025
Adjective
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Prospect Capital is now the cheapest BDC on the market, trading at just 46% of NAV.—
Brett Owens,
Forbes.com,
20 July 2025
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For years, the equation seemed simple: look for the cheapest fare, even if the trip was mediocre.—
Wilson Santiago Burgos,
USA Today,
20 July 2025
Adjective
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Also in central Gaza on Sunday, at least 12 people were killed and more than 40 injured when an Israeli airstrike targeted a crowded junction, according to Dr. Mohammed Abu Salmiya, Director of Al-Shifa Medical Complex central Gaza City.—
Tim Lister,
CNN Money,
14 July 2025
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The downside of this route is that digital books can easily get lost in the shuffle of crowded devices.—
Vikrant Shaurya,
Forbes.com,
14 July 2025
Adjective
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My pansies are pitiful, the lavender is languishing and the salvia is suffering.—
Barbara Ellis,
Denver Post,
7 July 2025
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Something about this one note prompted even this pitiful creature to a risky gesture of mercy.—
Jessica Kiang,
Variety,
14 May 2025
Adjective
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The use of unilateral sanctions against Special Rapporteurs or any other UN expert or official is unacceptable.—
Amira El-Fekki,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 July 2025
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Students, both the ones who behave and the ones who misbehave, need to know that there are real consequences for unacceptable behavior.—
Carrie Lukas,
Forbes.com,
9 July 2025
Adjective
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Maybe the news reports and images trigger your feelings around a horrible experience at a camp, a personal loss of a child, or even just a loss of feeling safe and in control of the world, said Hurlbert.—
Madeline Holcombe,
CNN Money,
11 July 2025
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For many who were directly affected by the flood, these post-flood days have been like waking up from a horrible nightmare.—
Bea L. Hines,
Miami Herald,
11 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Lousy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lousy. Accessed 23 Jul. 2025.
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