lousy

adjective

ˈlau̇-zē How to pronounce lousy (audio)
lousier; lousiest
Synonyms of lousynext
1
: infested (see infest sense 2) with lice
the ragged, lousy tribesmen— T. 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
ˈlau̇-zə-lē How to pronounce lousy (audio)
adverb
lousiness
ˈlau̇-zē-nəs How to pronounce lousy (audio)
noun

Synonyms

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

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.
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.
With New Yorkers, their past is a lousy indicator of their future. — John Tamny, Forbes, 6 Mar. 2025 Everyone back then could do a lousy Humphrey Bogart impersonation — or at least knew who Humphrey Bogart was. — Benjamin Svetkey, The Hollywood Reporter, 4 Mar. 2025 The team, which had mostly been lousy since that championship year, was finally starting to win games again. — Nick Paumgarten, The New Yorker, 3 Mar. 2025 Plastic trash cans tend to have flimsy builds, do a poor job at containing odors, and are lousy at keeping trash bags secure. — Wilder Davies, Bon Appétit, 3 Mar. 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

Phrases Containing lousy

Rhymes for lousy

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Browse Nearby Words

lousy
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Cite this Entry

“Lousy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lousy. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.

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Kids Definition

lousy

adjective
ˈlau̇-zē How to pronounce lousy (audio)
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
-zē-nəs How to pronounce lousy (audio)
noun

Medical Definition

lousy

adjective
ˈlau̇-zē How to pronounce lousy (audio)
lousier; lousiest
: infested with lice

More from Merriam-Webster on lousy

Nglish: Translation of lousy for Spanish Speakers

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