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
This squad entered this No. 9 vs. No. 10 game as underdogs, carrying lousy form and bad vibes.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, The Mercury News, 17 Apr. 2024
The usually appealing Dunst has made another lousy career choice (following Power of the Dog), sympathizing with a professional journalist who, like so many, is actually a charlatan, ’twixt and ’tween enjoying privilege and lacking integrity.
—Armond White, National Review, 12 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for lousy 
Dieter Kurtenbach, The Mercury News, 17 Apr. 2024
The usually appealing Dunst has made another lousy career choice (following Power of the Dog), sympathizing with a professional journalist who, like so many, is actually a charlatan, ’twixt and ’tween enjoying privilege and lacking integrity.
—Armond White, National Review, 12 Apr. 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 3 May. 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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