lousier; lousiest
1
: infested (see infest sense 2) with lice
the ragged, lousy tribesmenT. 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 adverb
lousiness noun

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
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.
One lousy performance shouldn’t deter Johnson from hiring Glenn. Antwan Staley, New York Daily News, 20 Jan. 2025 Even if Chris Kreider hadn’t gone on injured reserve, there were changes afoot because of the lousy overall play in the last seven weeks. Arthur Staple, The Athletic, 10 Jan. 2025 Kelly: Iran, which had a pretty lousy 2024, weakened internally, mounting pressures externally. NPR, 10 Jan. 2025 Over 50,000 Eagles fans showed up on that freezing December day for the last game of the season to support their team, which had a lousy 2-11 record for the season. Timothy J. Brown, The Conversation, 10 Jan. 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

Dictionary Entries Near lousy

Cite this Entry

“Lousy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lousy. Accessed 23 Jan. 2025.

Kids 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
lousiness noun

Medical Definition

lousy

adjective
lousier; lousiest
: infested with lice

More from Merriam-Webster on lousy

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