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
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of lousy
Now, granted, that’s a lousy turnaround for the Rams, given a Thursday nighter on the road.
—
Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 10 June 2026
Then again, growing up in a place that’s lousy with old stuff will do that to you.
—Helen Lewis, The Atlantic, 9 June 2026
As many as 7 in 10 of those operators blamed tight visa rules, vetting of immigrants and a spike in the cost of catching a flight into the United States, brought on by the Iran war, as reasons for the lousy booking rates.
—Andre Mouchard, Oc Register, 8 June 2026
Those are the fruits primarily of being lousy, which the B’s were in 2024-25.
—Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 8 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for lousy
Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 10 June 2026
Then again, growing up in a place that’s lousy with old stuff will do that to you.
—Helen Lewis, The Atlantic, 9 June 2026
As many as 7 in 10 of those operators blamed tight visa rules, vetting of immigrants and a spike in the cost of catching a flight into the United States, brought on by the Iran war, as reasons for the lousy booking rates.
—Andre Mouchard, Oc Register, 8 June 2026
Those are the fruits primarily of being lousy, which the B’s were in 2024-25.
—Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 8 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for lousy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lousy
Adjective
-
In November 2008 an errant air strike, conducted under auspices of a lame-duck Bush administration, killed 37 civilians who were at a wedding party in Wech Baghtu, Afghanistan.—
Ta-Nehisi Coates,
Vanity Fair,
15 June 2026
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At supper the guides exchanged significant glances across the fire and acted like a couple of guys who have picked a lame horse.—
Fred Bear,
Outdoor Life,
11 June 2026
Adjective
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Rebecca Lowe joins Dan Patrick to discuss some of the top storylines around the World Cup, including Cristiano Ronaldo's poor play to start, the United States' potential and more.—
Monica Alba,
NBC news,
24 June 2026
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Will the gap between rural and urban America – and the gap between rich and poor America – decline or grow?—
Arthur Cosby,
Fortune,
23 June 2026
Adjective
-
This is Conolly’s Folly, built in 1740 at the height of a terrible famine.—
Amelia Soth,
JSTOR Daily,
18 June 2026
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The heroes who save us from these awful, terrible music haters do so with force.—
David John Chávez,
Mercury News,
18 June 2026
Adjective
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The pricier piece is often the cheaper one to own.—
Ryan Brennan,
Charlotte Observer,
19 June 2026
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That marks a shift from an older data-center playbook built around cheap land, fiber access and tax incentives, with power planning often becoming a constraint later in the process.—
Ron Schmelzer,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
Adjective
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Be mindful of others during rush hour In particularly busy cities like Tokyo and Osaka, commuter trains can get very crowded during rush hour.—
Rebecca Ann Hughes,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2026
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Well, everyone except a 60-ish woman, Trisha, and her husband, who have been Little Toni’s regulars for 30 years and have no clue why their beloved haunt is so crowded on what appears to be an average Sunday.—
Chris Gardner,
HollywoodReporter,
18 June 2026
Adjective
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Trump has made a pitiful shambles of what should have been a glorious moment.—
David Frum,
The Atlantic,
31 May 2026
-
With his country flailing in their pitiful attempts to qualify for the 2006 World Cup, at the age of 33, Zidane underwent his change of heart.—
Amy Lawrence,
New York Times,
31 May 2026
Adjective
-
Warsh called that unacceptable and kept saying so.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
17 June 2026
-
This proposal is utterly unacceptable.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
17 June 2026
Adjective
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Iran’s terrible, horrible, no good, very bad World Cup got a lot better Sunday.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
21 June 2026
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What started as a horrible mistake ended up bringing the community together.—
Andrea Nakano,
CBS News,
18 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Lousy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lousy. Accessed 24 Jun. 2026.
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