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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 Trump might also set back democratic values by coercing Ukraine into a lousy peace or supporting Hungarian President Viktor Orban and other rulers who seek to dismantle European liberalism. Hal Brands, Foreign Affairs, 25 Feb. 2025 Plus a question about Bridgeport’s poor run of play, the lousy Islanders power play and more. Arthur Staple, The Athletic, 19 Feb. 2025 Come the postseason, one lousy half could mean the difference between KU advancing to the next round or going home. Shreyas Laddha, Kansas City Star, 16 Feb. 2025 Eric Adams has been a lousy mayor for the most part, one who couldn’t see the loaf for the crumbs and squandered his political capital on maintaining a dizzying array of corrupt friends and cronies. Harry Siegel, New York Daily News, 15 Feb. 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
  • But there is another concerning trend and area that has to be improved — their poor record on second balls.
    Rob Tanner, The Athletic, 14 Mar. 2025
  • The Heat holds a poor 9-24 record this season in games against teams currently with a winning record.
    Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 13 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • The New York Yankees received terrible news on Monday regarding Gerrit Cole's injury.
    Faisal Kutty, Newsweek, 11 Mar. 2025
  • Traditional networks grant access just because a device is on the network, which is a terrible idea.
    Expert Panel®, Forbes, 11 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Read: The cost of avoiding microplastics In the mid-1990s, China emerged as the principal destination for used cups, straws, and the like; the country’s growing manufacturing sector was eager to make use of cheap, recycled raw plastic.
    Scott W. Stern, The Atlantic, 10 Mar. 2025
  • My problem is, one family member opens cards that have been left there for my daughter, and puts all sorts of cheap decorations around her grave.
    Jeanne Phillips, The Mercury News, 9 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Elite institutions will continue to thrive, as will second-tier schools that can differentiate themselves in a crowded market.
    Scott White, Forbes, 5 Mar. 2025
  • Josephine Chen, a partner at Sequoia, said the crowded market reflects the seriousness of the problem.
    Ashley Capoot, CNBC, 5 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Its pitiful history includes only one application, less than a decade after its formulation, to strike down a delegation in Schechter Poultry Corp. v. United States, 295 U.S. 495 (1935).
    Marie Sapirie, Forbes, 3 Mar. 2025
  • Kubrick’s film is a hell of a black comedy that satirizes the mediocrity of middle-class life: 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
  • But this false choice that some are buying instead of fighting is unacceptable.
    Mark Davis, Newsweek, 14 Mar. 2025
  • But for a lot of people following Markle's every move anything other than perfection is unacceptable.
    Alanna Bennett, refinery29.com, 14 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • The tech giant had a horrible week, off nearly 11% in the period despite Friday’s relief bounce.
    Pia Singh, CNBC, 14 Mar. 2025
  • This is really happening and these horrible things are happening and that this person doesn't want to be happening.
    Patrick Gomez, EW.com, 14 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Lousy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lousy. Accessed 19 Mar. 2025.

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