lousier; lousiest
1
: infested (see infest sense 2) with lice
the ragged, lousy tribesmenT. E. Lawrence
2
a
: totally repulsive (see repulsive sense 3) : contemptible
a lousy way of getting even
b
: miserably poor or inferior
got lousy grades
c
: somewhat ill
felt lousy after dinner
d
: amply supplied : replete
lousy with money
3
of silk : fuzzy and specked because of splitting of the fiber
lousily adverb
lousiness noun

Examples of lousy in a Sentence

She got lousy grades in high school. I like the work, but the pay is lousy. He was a lousy husband. They did a lousy job. He drank too much and felt lousy the next morning. It's a lousy, rainy day. That's a lousy way to treat a friend.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
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

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of lousy was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Lousy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lousy. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

lousy

adjective
lousier; lousiest
1
: infested with lice
2
a
: totally disgusting : contemptible
b
: of very poor quality
got lousy grades
c
: somewhat ill
felt lousy after dinner
d
: well supplied
lousy with money
lousiness noun

Medical Definition

lousy

adjective
lousier; lousiest
: infested with lice

More from Merriam-Webster on lousy

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!