lousier; lousiest
1
: infested (see infest sense 2) with lice
the ragged, lousy tribesmen—
T. E. Lawrence
T. E. Lawrence2
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
Synonyms
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
But most women know that when given a lousy assignment, the trick is to work doubly hard to prove doubters wrong.
—Pamela Paul, The Mercury News, 8 Nov. 2024
The only thing scarier than lousy Smarch weather is time’s refusal to march forward.
—Joshua Kurp, Vulture, 4 Nov. 2024
There are salespeople with lousy products that have to over-sell.
—ABC News, 27 Oct. 2024
Spencer’s saga is a depressing tale of a rushed and incomplete police investigation, a lousy defense attorney, prosecutorial misconduct, false testimony, and witnesses compromised by cash rewards.
—Terry W., The Christian Science Monitor, 22 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for lousy 
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.
Pamela Paul, The Mercury News, 8 Nov. 2024
The only thing scarier than lousy Smarch weather is time’s refusal to march forward.
—Joshua Kurp, Vulture, 4 Nov. 2024
There are salespeople with lousy products that have to over-sell.
—ABC News, 27 Oct. 2024
Spencer’s saga is a depressing tale of a rushed and incomplete police investigation, a lousy defense attorney, prosecutorial misconduct, false testimony, and witnesses compromised by cash rewards.
—Terry W., The Christian Science Monitor, 22 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for lousy
Dictionary Entries Near lousy
Cite this Entry
“Lousy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lousy. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids 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
Medical Definition
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share