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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 This was an important belief for me because my diet was the epitome of lousy eating habits that included bacon and eggs for breakfast, fast food for lunch, a big slab of meat for dinner, and snacks of all shapes and sizes throughout the day in copious amounts. Bryant Stamford, The Courier-Journal, 14 Aug. 2025 Jerry Reinsdorf, Mike Brown, James Dolan, Jeffrey Loria in Miami, Donald Sterling and yes, Michael Jordan -- those and more names arise when the topic of controversial or lousy owners comes up. Greg Cote august 5, Miami Herald, 5 Aug. 2025 Factual: The perfect excuse for kicking lousy owners out of your league. Bill Reinhard, New York Daily News, 3 Aug. 2025 The lousy ones coming at the end, after Parkinson’s had taken hold and Walter’s hands had first begun to shake and then his balance had faltered and finally he was reduced to taking little mincing baby steps like that character Tim Conway used to play on The Carol Burnett Show. Literary Hub, 9 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for lousy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lousy
Adjective
  • Shootouts are lame in comparison.
    Chris Branch, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2025
  • On the other hand, Powell probably has little incentive to commit firmly given high lame-duck status and the fact that more employment and inflation numbers will hit before the September meeting.
    Michael Santoli, CNBC, 18 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • But prorating three years of player profits down to 12 months, as UEFA’s rule does, reduces the immediate efficacy of successful trading in the market, the very strategy that poorer clubs increasingly rely on to climb the ladder.
    Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 5 Sep. 2025
  • Like most extended car warranty providers, CarShield excludes pre-existing conditions that existed before your warranty took effect, as well as damage resulting from poor maintenance, neglect or intentional abuse.
    Brian Sloan, CNBC, 4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Overall, this wasn’t a terrible episode, but having our heroes start in the UK and then end up in Spain in the first episode felt rushed and wasteful.
    Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
  • Both men are good, both men are bad and both men have made terrible mistakes.
    Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 7 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • But that cheaper investment has largely been eviscerated, according to a cadre of sports bankers CNBC interviewed.
    Michael Ozanian, CNBC, 4 Sep. 2025
  • Travelers can snag cheap flights to explore New York in September and October.
    Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • On crowded factory floors, machines must share space with each other and with obstacles while working at high speed.
    Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 4 Sep. 2025
  • The evening included readings of erotic poetry by James Massiah and Adult Entertainment, sensual cocktails canapés by Heal Goblin, as well as beers and cans of water for those who couldn’t get into the crowded venue that poured out onto the street.
    Hikmat Mohammed, Footwear News, 4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • As del Toro sees it, Frankenstein’s pitiful creation has been cursed with life, cannot be killed (even bullets don’t stop him) and must face the same existential crisis that confronts us all.
    Peter Debruge, Variety, 30 Aug. 2025
  • Over 1,000 murdered whilst queuing for aid, starved due to their siege, whilst pitiful amounts of aid delivered by a sham agency controlled by Israel.
    Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 20 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Unwavering loyalty Schrandt told ABC News that any deportations to Afghanistan are an unacceptable outcome.
    Chris Boccia, ABC News, 5 Sep. 2025
  • Cosmetics are not the only place that regulators assessed an unacceptable level of risk.
    Keyaira Boone, Essence, 5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • The horrible accident — later determined to be caused by pilot error — remains the deadliest plane crash in Charlotte history.
    Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 10 Sep. 2025
  • But then came a horrible deep-ball attempt intended for Stefon Diggs that Isaiah Pola-Mao intercepted.
    Steve Buckley, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Lousy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lousy. Accessed 12 Sep. 2025.

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