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as in poor
falling short of a standard I actually play a pretty lousy game of tennis

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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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 lousy Recessions typically hurt revenues and operating margins, and the multiple investors are willing to pay for a business — creating lousy news for stocks. Michael Khouw, CNBC, 10 Apr. 2025 Weak or lousy prompts will tend to get hollow or bleak answers. Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 8 Apr. 2025 This mess and the price tag for a lousy deal to clean it up are the sort of thing that gave rise to the chaotic Department of Government Efficiency and a broad appetite for slashing government spending. The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 8 Apr. 2025 The Denver native has watched a lot of lousy baseball in his nine-year Rockies career, and very little of it was his fault. Levi Weaver, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for lousy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lousy
Adjective
  • As holidays go, however, Flag Day can feel a bit lame.
    Kevin Fisher-Paulson, San Francisco Chronicle, 8 June 2021
  • My 11-year-old loved watching the pups roll balls and play a giant floor piano, but for non-dog owners (guilty as charged), parts of the series—like dressing dogs in little hats and outfits for a Parisian fashion show—feel lame.
    Tim Neville, Outside Online, 23 Nov. 2020
Adjective
  • Some parents worry that Alexa's high tolerance for rudeness instills poor behavior in their kids, according to Quartz.
    Emily Forlini, PC Magazine, 18 Apr. 2025
  • Then someone pointed a finger at a surprising culprit: the soldiers’ poor health.
    Maxim Sytch, Harvard Business Review, 18 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • What is disconcerting is when campaign donors and friends & family have commuted sentences after they have been legally convicted of terrible financial crimes.
    Sanjeev Menon, Forbes.com, 14 Apr. 2025
  • Skinner had a terrible time of it for much of the season.
    Allan Mitchell, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Their tech lets clothing companies show off a wide variety of sizes and styles—and for a whole lot cheaper.
    Alexandra York, Forbes.com, 15 Apr. 2025
  • In Flacco and Pickett, the Browns have two veteran backups on cheap contracts signed only for 2025.
    Zac Jackson, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • In that crowded class of prospects, each star had his own identity.
    D. Watkins, The Atlantic, 10 Apr. 2025
  • As tensions threaten to turn to violence in the crowded train car, the officer arrives.
    EW.com, EW.com, 8 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • But the modern Democratic Party, rudderless and confused and reeling from a pitiful collective performance during Tuesday evening's presidential joint address to Congress, now confronts a fork in the road that's no joke.
    Newsweek, Newsweek, 7 Mar. 2025
  • In the director’s world, fathers are pitiful providers, mothers are blandly cheerful (while quietly suffering enormously), and the kids see far more than their parents do.
    Tim Grierson, Vulture, 21 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • Shapiro told reporters at a news conference on April 16 that regardless of the motivation for the crime, political violence must be condemned as unacceptable in our society.
    Riley Beggin, USA Today, 18 Apr. 2025
  • Any format that builds in a conflict of interest is unacceptable.
    Robert Greene, Mercury News, 16 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Wade has been in a horrible slump since the season started and going in to Saturday night’s game against the Los Angeles Angels is hitting .096 (5-for-52) with a homer, seven RBIs, eight walks and an on base percentage of .213.
    Jerry McDonald, Mercury News, 19 Apr. 2025
  • The Braves desperately need to add a shortstop and some offensive help amid their horrible start to the season.
    Nicholas Creel, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Lousy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lousy. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.

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