lousier; lousiest
1
: infested (see infest sense 2) with lice
the ragged, lousy tribesmen—
T. E. Lawrence
T. E. Lawrence2
a
: totally repulsive (see repulsive sense 3) : contemptible
a lousy way of getting even
b
: miserably poor or inferior
got lousy grades
c
: somewhat ill
felt lousy after dinner
d
: amply supplied : replete
lousy with money
3
of silk
: fuzzy and specked because of splitting of the fiber
Examples of lousy in a Sentence
She got lousy grades in high school.
I like the work, but the pay is lousy.
He was a lousy husband.
They did a lousy job.
He drank too much and felt lousy the next morning.
It's a lousy, rainy day.
That's a lousy way to treat a friend.
Recent Examples on the Web
Trump might also set back democratic values by coercing Ukraine into a lousy peace or supporting Hungarian President Viktor Orban and other rulers who seek to dismantle European liberalism.
—Hal Brands, Foreign Affairs, 25 Feb. 2025
Plus a question about Bridgeport’s poor run of play, the lousy Islanders power play and more.
—Arthur Staple, The Athletic, 19 Feb. 2025
Come the postseason, one lousy half could mean the difference between KU advancing to the next round or going home.
—Shreyas Laddha, Kansas City Star, 16 Feb. 2025
Eric Adams has been a lousy mayor for the most part, one who couldn’t see the loaf for the crumbs and squandered his political capital on maintaining a dizzying array of corrupt friends and cronies.
—Harry Siegel, New York Daily News, 15 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lousy
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Hal Brands, Foreign Affairs, 25 Feb. 2025
Plus a question about Bridgeport’s poor run of play, the lousy Islanders power play and more.
—Arthur Staple, The Athletic, 19 Feb. 2025
Come the postseason, one lousy half could mean the difference between KU advancing to the next round or going home.
—Shreyas Laddha, Kansas City Star, 16 Feb. 2025
Eric Adams has been a lousy mayor for the most part, one who couldn’t see the loaf for the crumbs and squandered his political capital on maintaining a dizzying array of corrupt friends and cronies.
—Harry Siegel, New York Daily News, 15 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lousy
Cite this Entry
“Lousy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lousy. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
lousy
adjective
lousier; lousiest
1
: infested with lice
2
a
: totally disgusting : contemptible
b
: of very poor quality
got lousy grades
c
: somewhat ill
felt lousy after dinner
d
: well supplied
lousy with money
Medical Definition
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