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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in terrible
extremely unsatisfactory
the restaurant served a lousy meal that we shouldn't have had to pay for
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in cheap
of low quality
a tacky store selling lousy souvenirs
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
The lousy news is partly due to the disruption of a seven-week strike by Boeing’s machinists that halted production of the company’s bestselling plane, the 737 Max.
—
Jeremy Bogaisky, Forbes, 27 Jan. 2025
After a lousy practice in the infancy of this season, Jalen Carter stepped into a players-only huddle and addressed the entire team for the first time.
—Brooks Kubena, The Athletic, 24 Jan. 2025
Compounding the lousy feeling in your brain, the inflammation that alcohol causes can be tough on the gut the day after a bender, says Dr. Sally Adams, an associate professor of psychology at the University of Birmingham.
—Betsy Andrews, Saveur, 9 Jan. 2025
One lousy performance shouldn’t deter Johnson from hiring Glenn.
—Antwan Staley, New York Daily News, 20 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for lousy 
Jeremy Bogaisky, Forbes, 27 Jan. 2025
After a lousy practice in the infancy of this season, Jalen Carter stepped into a players-only huddle and addressed the entire team for the first time.
—Brooks Kubena, The Athletic, 24 Jan. 2025
Compounding the lousy feeling in your brain, the inflammation that alcohol causes can be tough on the gut the day after a bender, says Dr. Sally Adams, an associate professor of psychology at the University of Birmingham.
—Betsy Andrews, Saveur, 9 Jan. 2025
One lousy performance shouldn’t deter Johnson from hiring Glenn.
—Antwan Staley, New York Daily News, 20 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for lousy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lousy
Adjective
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As holidays go, however, Flag Day can feel a bit lame.—
Kevin Fisher-Paulson,
San Francisco Chronicle,
8 June 2021
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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
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Lopetegui was eventually sacked on January 8, having failed to fix West Ham’s poor form.—
Roshane Thomas,
The Athletic,
5 Feb. 2025
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Though Osbourne had a farewell tour set to begin in 2023, he was forced to cancel the shows due to poor health.—
Rosa Rahimi,
CNN,
5 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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And both situations can, of course, be traced directly to the same source: years of terrible leadership by the commissioners and university presidents that end up hurting the athletes — and passing the cost of doing business onto the fans.—
Jon Wilner,
The Mercury News,
3 Feb. 2025
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But to add to what is at stake, former Chelsea head coach Graham Potter, who struggled to win the crowd over during a terrible seven months in charge in 2022-23, is returning as the opposition’s manager for the first time since he was sacked.—
Simon Johnson,
The Athletic,
3 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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The cheapest ticket on the resale market was $153 but it was located nearly on top of the arena.—
Scott Dochterman,
The Athletic,
3 Feb. 2025
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Re-painting your house is the easiest and cheapest way to do this.—
Aksha Mittapalli,
Better Homes & Gardens,
2 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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In New York in the late 1920s, TB was more common among the poor who lived in crowded, often unsanitary conditions.—
Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi,
Discover Magazine,
8 Feb. 2025
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In the simulated scenario, a fictional freight train carrying hazardous materials through a crowded area derails in a fiery explosion, burning or otherwise injuring 800 people.—
Corinne Purtill,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Who knew that banning books, paying teachers pitiful salaries and threatening them with jail if they were caught with salacious book titles would be the holy grail of student success?—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
11 Feb. 2025
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Who knew that banning books, paying teachers pitiful salaries and threatening them with jail if they were caught with salacious book titles would be the holy grail of student success.—
Letters to the Editor,
Orlando Sentinel,
6 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Nissan's board has decided that Honda’s terms for a merger are unacceptable, according to the Wall Street Journal.—
Anthony Robledo,
USA TODAY,
6 Feb. 2025
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What To Know Saudi Arabia firmly opposed Trump's suggestions, saying that any displacement of Palestinians is unacceptable.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
Newsweek,
5 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Meanwhile the parents had suffered years of horrible harassment and death threats from Jones’ followers.—
Rochelle Eastman,
Twin Cities,
7 Feb. 2025
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His death was so horrible that people still don’t talk about it.—
Julie Seabaugh,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Feb. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near lousy
Cite this Entry
“Lousy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lousy. Accessed 16 Feb. 2025.
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