lame

1
[ leym ]
See synonyms for: lamelamedlamestlames on Thesaurus.com

adjective,lam·er, lam·est.
  1. physically disabled, especially in the foot or leg so as to limp or walk with difficulty: a lame racehorse.

  2. impaired or disabled through defect or injury: a lame arm.

  1. weak; inadequate; unsatisfactory; clumsy: a lame excuse.

  2. Slang: Sometimes Disparaging and Offensive. awkward, dull, stupid, or uninteresting.

  3. Slang: Sometimes Disparaging and Offensive. out of touch with modern fads or trends; unsophisticated.

verb (used with object),lamed, lam·ing.
  1. to make lame or defective.

noun
  1. 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

1
First recorded before 900; Middle English (adjective and verb); Old English lama (adjective); cognate with Dutch lam, German lahm, Old Norse lami; akin to Lithuanian lúomas

usage note For lame

Many speakers do not recognize or consider the connection between the medical and slang senses of lame . Nevertheless, using a term associated with injury or disability as a general insult is sometimes perceived as insensitive to or by people with disabilities.

Other words from lame

  • lamely, adverb
  • lameness, noun

Words that may be confused with lame

Other definitions for lame (2 of 3)

lame2
[ leym; French lam ]

noun,plural lames [leym; French lam]. /leɪm; French lam/. Armor.
  1. any of a number of thin, overlapping plates composing a piece of plate armor, as a fauld, tasset, or gauntlet.

Origin of lame

2
1580–90; <Middle French <Latin lāmina a thin piece or plate

Other definitions for lamé (3 of 3)

lamé
[ lah-mey, la-; French la-mey ]

noun
  1. an ornamental fabric in which metallic threads, as of gold or silver, are woven with silk, wool, rayon, or cotton.

Origin of lamé

3
1920–25; <French, equivalent to lamelame2 + <Latin -ātus-ate1

Words that may be confused with lamé

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use lame in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for lame (1 of 3)

lame1

/ (leɪm) /


adjective
  1. disabled or crippled in the legs or feet

  2. painful or weak: a lame back

  1. weak; unconvincing: a lame excuse

  2. not effective or enthusiastic: a lame try

  3. US slang conventional or uninspiring

verb
  1. (tr) to make lame

Origin of lame

1
Old English lama; related to Old Norse lami, German lahm

Derived forms of lame

  • lamely, adverb
  • lameness, noun

British Dictionary definitions for lame (2 of 3)

lame2

/ (leɪm) /


noun
  1. one of the overlapping metal plates used in armour after about 1330; splint

Origin of lame

2
C16: via Old French from Latin lāmina a thin plate, lamina

British Dictionary definitions for lamé (3 of 3)

lamé

/ (ˈlɑːmeɪ) /


noun
    • a fabric of silk, cotton, or wool interwoven with threads of metal

    • (as modifier): a gold lamé gown

Origin of lamé

3
from French, from Old French lame gold or silver thread, thin plate, from Latin lāmina thin plate

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012