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
The economy was in great shape (with some caveats), but the mood was disproportionately lousy.
—Allison Morrow, CNN, 17 Mar. 2025
Richard’s odds are lousier than Reacher’s were when Beck forced Reacher to play because this revolver is a five-shot model instead of a six-shooter.
—Chris Klimek, Vulture, 13 Mar. 2025
This looks like a pretty lousy deal for the American worker.
—Iain Murray, Twin Cities, 9 Mar. 2025
With New Yorkers, their past is a lousy indicator of their future.
—John Tamny, Forbes, 6 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lousy
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Allison Morrow, CNN, 17 Mar. 2025
Richard’s odds are lousier than Reacher’s were when Beck forced Reacher to play because this revolver is a five-shot model instead of a six-shooter.
—Chris Klimek, Vulture, 13 Mar. 2025
This looks like a pretty lousy deal for the American worker.
—Iain Murray, Twin Cities, 9 Mar. 2025
With New Yorkers, their past is a lousy indicator of their future.
—John Tamny, Forbes, 6 Mar. 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 25 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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