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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of lousy
Is this just the usual lurch into the All-Star Break, a comical stretch of lousy basketball karma … or something else?
—
Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 11 Feb. 2026
The acoustics of the concert hall, in particular, were lousy, though they have been addressed through renovations over the years (and the smaller halls are said to be much better sounding).
—Christopher Robbins, Curbed, 9 Feb. 2026
There’s no shortage of dispiriting news, but Wednesday’s gutting of the Washington Post staff was particularly lousy.
—Erik Pedersen, Oc Register, 6 Feb. 2026
Think of Arraez as a lineup lengthener first, then worry about his potential to be a generationally lousy defense later.
—Grant Brisbee, New York Times, 1 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for lousy
Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 11 Feb. 2026
The acoustics of the concert hall, in particular, were lousy, though they have been addressed through renovations over the years (and the smaller halls are said to be much better sounding).
—Christopher Robbins, Curbed, 9 Feb. 2026
There’s no shortage of dispiriting news, but Wednesday’s gutting of the Washington Post staff was particularly lousy.
—Erik Pedersen, Oc Register, 6 Feb. 2026
Think of Arraez as a lineup lengthener first, then worry about his potential to be a generationally lousy defense later.
—Grant Brisbee, New York Times, 1 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for lousy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lousy
Adjective
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Smith said the legislation could pass in December, during the lame-duck session of Congress that will follow November’s midterm elections, but that the coming days are critical.—
Jeff John Roberts,
Fortune,
6 Mar. 2026
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Maybe that’s a lame hook, but that, combined with the return of reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, gets them back in their spot.—
Law Murray,
New York Times,
2 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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While youth suicide remains a leading cause of death, the youth suicide rate is down in Colorado, and the number of kids reporting poor mental health also dropped from 23% in 2023 to 14% in 2025.—
Shaun Boyd,
CBS News,
17 Mar. 2026
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The launch came amid overcast skies and a weather forecast that was reduced to just a 75% chance for good conditions, according to Space Launch Delta 45’s weather squadron, which also noted a moderate risk for poor conditions at the booster landing site.—
Richard Tribou,
The Orlando Sentinel,
17 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Even if the football this summer is terrible, plenty of the teams are going to look great.—
Nick Miller,
New York Times,
20 Mar. 2026
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In the 1970s-1980s, all the agricultural talk in the Mississippi Delta was whether the boll weevil would be terrible or just awful this coming fall.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
19 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Meanwhile, compounding pharmacies that sell cheaper knockoffs of these products are disrupting the marketplace.—
CHRISTOPHER ROWLAND THE WASHINGTON POST,
Arkansas Online,
21 Mar. 2026
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Mail-only ballot elections are a cheaper, though slightly uncommon, alternative for cities when no candidates are on the ballot, like in the case of the upcoming April 21 election in the City Beautiful, according to Miami-Dade County Supervisor of Elections Alina Garcia.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
21 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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That headcount makes the market look crowded, but market power is heavily concentrated in two incumbents, and the rest lack the balance sheet to underwrite nationwide 5G and fiber rollouts.—
Tiisetso Motsoeneng,
semafor.com,
20 Mar. 2026
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With two months to go until the primary election, Democratic candidates are trying to stand out in what's shaping up to be a crowded field.—
Wakisha Bailey,
CBS News,
19 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Granted, those three performances were pitiful.—
Mike Bianchi,
The Orlando Sentinel,
14 Mar. 2026
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Gallup reached only 50,000 people, a pitiful fraction of The Literary Digest’s awe-inspiring mailbag.—
David Frum,
The Atlantic,
21 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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As an occasional problem, this would merit a Disapproving Frown — which, for the record, is one step up from a Cold Stare, one step down from a Glare, and at least one step down from yelling, which is unacceptable.—
Judith Martin,
Mercury News,
18 Mar. 2026
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That the tax sale system is unacceptable.—
A.D. Quig,
Chicago Tribune,
18 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Arsenal, like Chelsea and City, have that horrible Wednesday-Saturday-Tuesday schedule to contend with.—
Oliver Kay,
New York Times,
13 Mar. 2026
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At this point, however, this news is neither insignificant nor horrible.—
Kevin Acee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
10 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Lousy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lousy. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.
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