lame
1physically disabled, especially in the foot or leg so as to limp or walk with difficulty: a lame racehorse.
impaired or disabled through defect or injury: a lame arm.
weak; inadequate; unsatisfactory; clumsy: a lame excuse.
Slang: Sometimes Disparaging and Offensive. awkward, dull, stupid, or uninteresting.
Slang: Sometimes Disparaging and Offensive. out of touch with modern fads or trends; unsophisticated.
to make lame or defective.
Slang: Sometimes Disparaging and Offensive. a person who is out of touch with modern fads or trends, especially one who is unsophisticated.
Origin of lame
1usage note For lame
Other words from lame
- lamely, adverb
- lameness, noun
Words that may be confused with lame
- lame , lamé
Other definitions for lame (2 of 3)
any of a number of thin, overlapping plates composing a piece of plate armor, as a fauld, tasset, or gauntlet.
Origin of lame
2Other definitions for lamé (3 of 3)
an ornamental fabric in which metallic threads, as of gold or silver, are woven with silk, wool, rayon, or cotton.
Origin of lamé
3Words that may be confused with lamé
- lame, lamé
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use lame in a sentence
While federal legalization of cannabis may seem like an unexpected solution to many Americans, recent bipartisan momentum for legalization is pushing toward a vote to repeal this outdated prohibition in the lame duck session this month.
Congress should legalize cannabis now—for the economy and for social justice | matthewheimer | December 3, 2020 | FortuneHe is also the first Fed governor to be seated during a lame-duck session, though he was formally nominated earlier in the year.
Senate confirms Christopher Waller to the Fed board as Judy Shelton’s path narrows | Rachel Siegel | December 3, 2020 | Washington PostI suppose there’s not much else for a lame duck to do at this point in the year, so maybe it’s a sharp move.
Week 12 Taught Us That NFL Teams Really Do Need Quarterbacks | Sara Ziegler (sara.ziegler@fivethirtyeight.com) | November 30, 2020 | FiveThirtyEightAmerica is in the midst of a third surge of Covid-19 cases in a lame duck presidency where little is likely to improve.
Staying safe this winter means a lot of time outside. Here’s how to stay warm. | Rebecca Jennings | November 30, 2020 | VoxIt has been 540 days since Kevin Durant last stepped on the court during an NBA game, 540 days since the future Hall of Famer tried to save the Golden State Warriors in Game 5 of the 2019 Finals and came up lame with a torn Achilles’ tendon.
Remember Kevin Durant? The best player in the East is back for the Brooklyn Nets | Ben Golliver | November 30, 2020 | Washington Post
Gatto lamely maintained that Valle had just been checking the system.
His ally knew they would, and on July tenth he wrote a long letter to St. Petersburg, lamely justifying his conduct.
The Life of Napoleon Bonaparte | William Milligan Sloane"We're unwilling to leave you in such uncertainty," he said lamely.
The Opened Shutters | Clara Louise Burnham"It's all there," he said lamely, confused by his own impressions.
The Varmint | Owen JohnsonHe apologised lamely and told me that I was to proceed on board ship.
My Reminiscences of the Anglo-Boer War | Ben Viljoen.This was rather startling and Rosie could only answer stiffly, though somewhat lamely: "My father's different!"
The Rosie World | Parker Fillmore
British Dictionary definitions for lame (1 of 3)
/ (leɪm) /
disabled or crippled in the legs or feet
painful or weak: a lame back
weak; unconvincing: a lame excuse
not effective or enthusiastic: a lame try
US slang conventional or uninspiring
(tr) to make lame
Origin of lame
1Derived forms of lame
- lamely, adverb
- lameness, noun
British Dictionary definitions for lame (2 of 3)
/ (leɪm) /
one of the overlapping metal plates used in armour after about 1330; splint
Origin of lame
2British Dictionary definitions for lamé (3 of 3)
/ (ˈlɑːmeɪ) /
a fabric of silk, cotton, or wool interwoven with threads of metal
(as modifier): a gold lamé gown
Origin of lamé
3Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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