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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 Jerry Jones is a lousy GM, but not even Steve Ortmayer was that lousy. Nick Canepa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Sep. 2025 What a lousy effort by the home team, which managed to eke out two hits. Jon Greenberg, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2025 But that might not mean anything for spending, since sentiment has been a lousy predictor of purchasing behavior in recent years. Bryan Mena, CNN Money, 15 Aug. 2025 This was an important belief for me because my diet was the epitome of lousy eating habits that included bacon and eggs for breakfast, fast food for lunch, a big slab of meat for dinner, and snacks of all shapes and sizes throughout the day in copious amounts. Bryant Stamford, The Courier-Journal, 14 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for lousy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lousy
Adjective
  • Another main issue is that the power grind itself now being the endgame is no longer a good motivator to play, nor is the Tier system with 3s not much different than 4s or 5s, and all past weapons being somewhat lame now outside of that system entirely.
    Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 13 Sep. 2025
  • Paine proposed a lump sum payment of £15 (£2,306 in 2025) to everyone reaching the age of twenty-one and a £10 (£1,537 in 2025) annual pension for the blind and lame, as well as for those fifty and older.
    Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 7 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Cutting carbs entirely can raise the risk of cholesterol, kidney stones, poor bone health, gut problems, and even cancer, added Stefanki.
    Caitlin Pagán, Verywell Health, 11 Sep. 2025
  • Before Wednesday’s game, people within the organization were optimistic about Helsley putting his tipping problem and overall poor pitching behind him, pointing to a clean inning Monday.
    Will Sammon, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Yes, there are so much terrible stuff online.
    ABC News, ABC News, 14 Sep. 2025
  • But that obviously terrible call compromised the integrity of that game last night, and that's something the sport should be looking to avoid.
    Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 13 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • The efficiency and immediacy of space medicine may well influence healthcare innovation far beyond orbit, inspiring systems that are faster, cheaper, and more accessible.
    Bernard Marr, Forbes.com, 12 Sep. 2025
  • But because the signals are so faint, they can be drowned out by cheap jammers or replaced by counterfeit ones.
    Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 11 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • At first glance, Nam-Joon Cho’s lab at Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University looks like your typical research facility—scientists toiling away, crowded workbenches, a hum of machinery in the background.
    Sandy Ong, JSTOR Daily, 11 Sep. 2025
  • The company has been around for over four decades, and other big-name tech companies, such as IBM, Microsoft, and Amazon, have made the cloud services market more crowded than ever.
    Preston Fore, Fortune, 11 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • The pitiful screaming of surviving family members can be heard.
    Paul Tilsley, FOXNews.com, 12 Sep. 2025
  • As del Toro sees it, Frankenstein’s pitiful creation has been cursed with life, cannot be killed (even bullets don’t stop him) and must face the same existential crisis that confronts us all.
    Peter Debruge, Variety, 30 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • This vile, heartless remark is completely unacceptable—especially from someone entrusted with our children.
    Amy DeLaura, The Washington Examiner, 12 Sep. 2025
  • What constitutes an unacceptable season for the Yankees these days, and how much does Boone bear responsibility when the team doesn't perform up to those standards?
    Jackson Roberts, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • The horrible accident — later determined to be caused by pilot error — remains the deadliest plane crash in Charlotte history.
    Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 10 Sep. 2025
  • But then came a horrible deep-ball attempt intended for Stefon Diggs that Isaiah Pola-Mao intercepted.
    Steve Buckley, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Lousy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lousy. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.

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