LAME Synonyms: 322 Similar and Opposite Words

lame 1 of 2

adjective

ˈlām

Definition of lame next

as in pitiful

arousing or deserving of one's loathing and disgust that's a pretty lame way to treat someone

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

lame

2 of 2

verb

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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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 lame

Adjective

But large-scale remedies, such as finding alternative sources of revenue like a general tax increase to offset property tax cuts, are less likely when lawmakers and Pritzker are seeking reelection — though political pressures are lessened after the November general election in a lame-duck session. —

Rick Pearson, Chicago Tribune, 30 Mar. 2026 This struck me as heartbreakingly lame and, therefore, as a moment of vital consequence. —

Amanda Peet, New Yorker, 21 Mar. 2026 Duke fires the shot that kills the king Dying Tommy insists Duke finish him off with the bullet like a lame horse. —

Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 20 Mar. 2026 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 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 Saying the house is like a character too sounds a bit lame. —

Los Angeles Times, 18 Feb. 2026 And Siegfried keeps trying to understand what’s wrong with this goat that its owner claims is lame. —

Alice Burton, Vulture, 9 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

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

Given that California ranks a pitiful 49th in the nation in the condition, safety and costs of roads and bridges, according to the Reason Foundation’s 2025 Annual Highway Report, taxpayers’ transportation dollars would likely be better spent elsewhere.

— Adam Summers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Mar. 2026
The rear cargo space is pitiful for a vehicle of this size, price, and classification.

— Jesus R. Garcia, Houston Chronicle, 15 Mar. 2026