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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 team is lousy, the outlook is not great and the opportunity to improve the team in a material way looks questionable at best. Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 2 May 2025 But a lousy bounce off the front of the putting surface kicked his ball into the right greenside bunker. Paul Du Quenoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 May 2025 The lousy economic model explains why Real Madrid and Manchester United are the only soccer teams ranked in the top 20 of the world’s most valuable sports franchises, which skews heavily toward the NFL with its strict salary cap and $400-million-a-year TV checks. Kurt Badenhausen, Sportico.com, 7 May 2025 However, there are a few good ideas buried under the weight of poor execution, lousy technology, dreadful marketing, steep pricing, or just merely something being ahead of its time. ArsTechnica, 7 May 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
  • Zooming in reveals a poor level of detail, while the colors look unnaturally bright.
    PC Magazine, PC Magazine, 5 June 2025
  • Most cited poor digital offerings or a lack of services and products.
    Robert Frank, CNBC, 5 June 2025
Adjective
  • Kids these days have attention spans crushed under the terrible weight of TikTok and Instgram.
    Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 3 June 2025
  • My heart goes out to the victims of this terrible tragedy, and the Great People of Boulder, Colorado!
    Dan Mangan, CNBC, 2 June 2025
Adjective
  • Matthew Whelan, executive director of the Asbury Park Chamber of Commerce, suggests visiting on a weekday when possible; parking will be easier to find, and beach badges are cheaper ($7/day/person, instead of $10).
    Rachel Chang, AFAR Media, 2 June 2025
  • Cremation, increasingly popular, is cheaper: good for the customer, less so for the bottom line.
    Paige Williams, New Yorker, 2 June 2025
Adjective
  • While expanding its enrollment, adding new programs and building new centers, students have complained of crowded housing and dining areas, parking shortages and some offerings that are stretched thin, such as services for immigrant students.
    Jaweed Kaleem, Los Angeles Times, 29 May 2025
  • In crowded markets, differentiation often comes from the interface, not the engine.
    Abdo Riani, Forbes.com, 29 May 2025
Adjective
  • The pitiful performance by the Texas Rangers against the Toronto Blue Jays in the 2016 divisional round.
    Mac Engel, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 May 2025
  • But the rates were pitiful: $9.87 for a 13-mile trip, $19.97 for a 25-mile trip and so on.
    Eli Tan, New York Times, 14 May 2025
Adjective
  • And sometimes the soldiers can do things which are totally unacceptable and can be called crimes.
    Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 6 June 2025
  • Shamkhani underscored that the absence of sanctions relief rendered the U.S. plan unacceptable.
    Amir Daftari, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 June 2025
Adjective
  • Even with the horrible start the Red Sox still nearly came all the way back, twice drawing to within one run, but the club couldn’t get over the hump.
    Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 3 June 2025
  • Even on a horrible team, someone has to score, get rebounds and assists.
    Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 2 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Lousy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lousy. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.

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