1
as in lame
arousing or deserving of one's loathing and disgust
why, you lousy cheater!
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in cheap
of low quality
a tacky store selling lousy souvenirs
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
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
In this strangest of seasons -- who’d-a-thunk the Chiefs would be lousy and the Jaguars real good?
—
Greg Cote
january 1, Miami Herald, 1 Jan. 2026
But the measures that were taken over the years to wreck the lives of so many Americans—negotiating lousy trade agreements, deregulating banks, rolling back antitrust—were not simply inevitable.
—Rosa Lyster, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
This lousy wintry Monday came a day after unseasonable severe weather socked the area.
—Laura Bannon, CBS News, 29 Dec. 2025
Having a lousy year does have its benefits.
—Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 25 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lousy
Greg Cote
january 1, Miami Herald, 1 Jan. 2026
But the measures that were taken over the years to wreck the lives of so many Americans—negotiating lousy trade agreements, deregulating banks, rolling back antitrust—were not simply inevitable.
—Rosa Lyster, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
This lousy wintry Monday came a day after unseasonable severe weather socked the area.
—Laura Bannon, CBS News, 29 Dec. 2025
Having a lousy year does have its benefits.
—Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 25 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lousy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lousy
Adjective
-
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
Adjective
-
The latest information from the National Council on Problem Gambling shows adolescent problem gambling leads to a complex mix of criminal behavior, poor academic achievement, truancy, financial problems, depression, suicide and substance abuse.—
Nick Penzenstadler,
USA Today,
3 Feb. 2026
-
Congratulations to Umpire Engzell for being virtually the only person to call her out on her poor tennis behavior.—
Reader Commentary,
Baltimore Sun,
3 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Huw is also a terrible planner, placing himself in dangerous situations for no discernible reason, refusing to ask for help or call the police at times when calling the police is the most glaringly obvious move, and generally not communicating with anyone.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
-
At age 55, Riggle once suffered through decades of heartbreak and terrible Chiefs teams.—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The older one does Warners cartoon bits, really old-fashioned, cheap-ass funny vaudeville stuff.—
Lea Veloso,
StyleCaster,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Amazon’s selection, however, renewed my faith in cheap-and-cheerful bottoms.—
Annie Blackman,
InStyle,
30 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
As a candidate, Klobuchar faced stories of disgruntled Senate staffers who described her as a difficult boss but also distinguished herself on crowded debate stages as a determined pragmatist.—
Bill Barrow,
Fortune,
29 Jan. 2026
-
San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan has joined the crowded field of Democrats seeking to succeed Gavin Newsom as governor of California.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
29 Jan. 2026
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
-
Antisemitism has no place in our city, and violence or intimidation against Jewish New Yorkers is unacceptable.—
Landon Mion,
FOXNews.com,
29 Jan. 2026
-
These actions, coupled with her own words, reveal an unacceptable disdain for our constitutional system of checks and balances.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
27 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The killing and execution of Renee Good and Alex Pretti and the horrible lies perpetuated by this government are abhorrent.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Someone should start talking about improving the state’s horrible inability to attract fellow Americans.—
Jonathan Lansner,
Oc Register,
30 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Lousy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lousy. Accessed 4 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
