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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 The economy was in great shape (with some caveats), but the mood was disproportionately lousy. Allison Morrow, CNN, 17 Mar. 2025 Richard’s odds are lousier than Reacher’s were when Beck forced Reacher to play because this revolver is a five-shot model instead of a six-shooter. Chris Klimek, Vulture, 13 Mar. 2025 This looks like a pretty lousy deal for the American worker. Iain Murray, Twin Cities, 9 Mar. 2025 With New Yorkers, their past is a lousy indicator of their future. John Tamny, Forbes, 6 Mar. 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
  • This can manifest in poor financial behaviors like excessive credit card debt, minimal savings, or impulsive investment decisions.
    Shane Enete, Forbes, 24 Mar. 2025
  • From the moment the details of the agreement became known, analysts gave the deal a poor prognosis.
    TIME, TIME, 23 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • The rhetoric pushed here is that someone with a high body count has less value and will either make a terrible partner or no one will want them in the first place.
    Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 4 Apr. 2025
  • The domestic box office is presently in a terrible state, and Minecraft could prove to be the shot of confidence Hollywood studios and cinema owners need after recent films, including Disney’s Snow White, have turned into major disappointments.
    Pamela McClintock, HollywoodReporter, 4 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • However, note that these are smaller models that could run on a less expensive GPUs or even a CPU with cheaper memory instead of the super expensive HBM memory currently used in all high-end accelerators.
    Karl Freund, Forbes.com, 3 Apr. 2025
  • In the early 1970s, the widespread availability of cheap, preformed fiberglass pools meant the rate of young children drowning soared.
    Charlie Campbell, Time, 3 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • In New Jersey, the primary field is much more crowded for candidates in both parties.
    Savannah Kuchar, USA Today, 30 Mar. 2025
  • Tripadvisor recommends visiting in spring or fall when the weather is mild but the beach is less crowded.
    Brittany Anas, Forbes.com, 28 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • But the modern Democratic Party, rudderless and confused and reeling from a pitiful collective performance during Tuesday evening's presidential joint address to Congress, now confronts a fork in the road that's no joke.
    Newsweek, Newsweek, 7 Mar. 2025
  • My performance was beyond pitiful today, and has been for a while now.
    Ryan Morik, Fox News, 3 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Restaurants rated unacceptable must close to fix their issues and require reinspection prior to reopening.
    Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 Mar. 2025
  • Plagiarism Policies Plagiarism is unacceptable in academic circles.
    Rowan Briggs, Mercury News, 24 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Those plans are HMOs and many of us remember how horrible those were, denying service, or stalling approval.
    Ticked Off, The Orlando Sentinel, 26 Mar. 2025
  • Lillard’s blood clot diagnosis continues a horrible stretch of injuries that has limited the Bucks’ ability to chase postseason glory since the Bucks ended the franchise’s 50-year championship drought by winning the 2021 NBA title.
    Sam Amick, New York Times, 26 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Lousy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lousy. Accessed 8 Apr. 2025.

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