1
as in pitiful
arousing or deserving of one's loathing and disgust
that's a pretty lame way to treat someone
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in unacceptable
falling short of a standard
the amenities at this hotel are lame; there's not even free Wi-Fi in the room
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to cripple
to cause severe or permanent injury to
we were afraid that the horse would be lamed by its horrible fall
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of lame
Alice Burton, Vulture, 9 Feb. 2026
With about a year left until the next mayoral election, the attacks from Johnson’s opponents attempting to preemptively paint him as a lame-duck mayor could also turn off candidates worried about job stability, but their contract specifics would vary by agency.
—Alice Yin, Chicago Tribune, 4 Feb. 2026
Gavin Newsom is officially a lame-duck governor, and his final year in office seems increasingly focused on an almost certain campaign for the White House.
—Dan Walters, Mercury News, 28 Jan. 2026
Gavin Newsom is officially a lame-duck governor, and his final year in office seems increasingly focused on an almost certain campaign for the White House.
—Dan Walters, Oc Register, 27 Jan. 2026
That role is currently filled by Kevin O’Toole, a longtime New Jersey politico, who was nominated and approved for another six-year term last month in the waning, lame-duck weeks of former New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy’s term.
—Evan Simko-Bednarski, New York Daily News, 24 Jan. 2026
Seems like a lame upgrade, but there is a lot to be said for this one being a consolidator.
—Jim Cramer, CNBC, 23 Jan. 2026
The show could still include a government subplot, maybe some shadowy investigators poking their noses around, but as it was written, the military was just unforgivably lame.
—Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 2026
His other go-to bogeyman, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, is now firmly in his lame-duck era as his term ends this spring.
—Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 11 Jan. 2026
Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 19 Feb. 2025
There's nothing watery, limp, or lame about an onion boil.
—Melissa Gray, Southern Living, 21 Nov. 2024
And unlike other bread lames that don’t conceal the razor, this one opens and closes for maximum safety.
—Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 Feb. 2024
The question is, then, how can two lames convince the girls to look their way?
—Vulture, 6 June 2023
Adjective
And Siegfried keeps trying to understand what’s wrong with this goat that its owner claims is lame.
—Alice Burton, Vulture, 9 Feb. 2026
With about a year left until the next mayoral election, the attacks from Johnson’s opponents attempting to preemptively paint him as a lame-duck mayor could also turn off candidates worried about job stability, but their contract specifics would vary by agency.
—Alice Yin, Chicago Tribune, 4 Feb. 2026
Gavin Newsom is officially a lame-duck governor, and his final year in office seems increasingly focused on an almost certain campaign for the White House.
—Dan Walters, Mercury News, 28 Jan. 2026
Gavin Newsom is officially a lame-duck governor, and his final year in office seems increasingly focused on an almost certain campaign for the White House.
—Dan Walters, Oc Register, 27 Jan. 2026
That role is currently filled by Kevin O’Toole, a longtime New Jersey politico, who was nominated and approved for another six-year term last month in the waning, lame-duck weeks of former New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy’s term.
—Evan Simko-Bednarski, New York Daily News, 24 Jan. 2026
Seems like a lame upgrade, but there is a lot to be said for this one being a consolidator.
—Jim Cramer, CNBC, 23 Jan. 2026
The show could still include a government subplot, maybe some shadowy investigators poking their noses around, but as it was written, the military was just unforgivably lame.
—Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 2026
His other go-to bogeyman, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, is now firmly in his lame-duck era as his term ends this spring.
—Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 11 Jan. 2026
Verb
Additional accessories High-end proofing baskets can come with many other helpful accessories like scrapers, bonus lames and even instructional e-books or DVDs.
—Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 19 Feb. 2025
There's nothing watery, limp, or lame about an onion boil.
—Melissa Gray, Southern Living, 21 Nov. 2024
And unlike other bread lames that don’t conceal the razor, this one opens and closes for maximum safety.
—Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 Feb. 2024
The question is, then, how can two lames convince the girls to look their way?
—Vulture, 6 June 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lame
Adjective
-
Mercy came via a bye week, the pitiful Raiders and an inept Cowboys defense.—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 Jan. 2026
-
Writer-director Craig Brewer resists the temptation to make Mike and Claire in any way pitiful or worthy of derision.—
Peter Tonguette,
The Washington Examiner,
9 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Local officials criticized the FAA for imposing the closure without advance notice or coordination, calling the lack of communication unacceptable.—
Seung Min Kim,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Feb. 2026
-
That failure to communicate is unacceptable.—
Jay Blackman,
NBC news,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Measles is endemic in Somalia, where war and international aid cuts have crippled the medical system, and elsewhere in East Africa where residents here often travel.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
6 Feb. 2026
-
In the current session the GOP think tank is conjuring ways to cut property tax, a move that will cripple county and city government’s capacity to provide services to their constituents.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
3 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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These are cheap to produce and easy to swallow due to their smooth texture.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Feb. 2026
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With a distinctive look and a €38,290 ($45,425) passenger van base price (German market) that undercuts even the cheapest VW ID.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
13 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Semmann said stores raise prices primarily in response to supply chain issues, such as poor harvests, changes to international trade policy or increasing logistical costs.—
Francesca Pica,
jsonline.com,
10 Feb. 2026
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Boating conditions are poor across offshore waters south of Cape Canaveral, while small craft need to exercise caution near the inlets.—
Garfield Hylton,
The Orlando Sentinel,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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In the first half of the Super Bowl against Cincinnati, Beckham suffered a complete ACL tear and was incapacitated.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Feb. 2026
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The two climbers, 47 and 50 years old, were requesting assistance, saying they were incapacitated and unable to continue their route.—
Jennifer McRae,
CBS News,
9 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Yet, even as India remains wedded to the dirtiest fossil fuel, its coal consumption is roughly 40% of China’s at the same stage of development, Ember found.—
Laura Paddison,
CNN Money,
11 Feb. 2026
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Camperlab also experimented with bleaching, dirty tints and shades of pink.—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Now Rubio was telling liberal centrist foreign leaders that their entire outlook was wrong, echoing the far-right populist opponents who might well unseat them in upcoming elections.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN Money,
15 Feb. 2026
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And so the custodians became irate when photographs emerged of the actor Sarah Pidgeon, who plays Bessette in Murphy’s show, looking all wrong on set.—
Doreen St. Félix,
New Yorker,
14 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Lame.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lame. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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