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
The columnist was making a two-pronged point that past performance is a lousy predictor of the future, and that the future itself is unknowable.
—John Tamny, Forbes, 21 Oct. 2024
To make the Titans' lousy start to the season even more painful, former Tennessee star Derrick Henry is dominating for the Baltimore Ravens.
—Nate Rau, Axios, 16 Oct. 2024
Sounds like a lousy way to run an awards show, but nobody’s asking me.
—Nina Metz, Chicago Tribune, 16 Sep. 2024
Right now, the individual market is great for the healthy and lousy for the sick.
—John C. Goodman, Forbes, 24 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for lousy 
John Tamny, Forbes, 21 Oct. 2024
To make the Titans' lousy start to the season even more painful, former Tennessee star Derrick Henry is dominating for the Baltimore Ravens.
—Nate Rau, Axios, 16 Oct. 2024
Sounds like a lousy way to run an awards show, but nobody’s asking me.
—Nina Metz, Chicago Tribune, 16 Sep. 2024
Right now, the individual market is great for the healthy and lousy for the sick.
—John C. Goodman, Forbes, 24 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for lousy
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lousy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near lousy
Cite this Entry
“Lousy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lousy. Accessed 4 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
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