physically 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.
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
slang conventional or uninspiring
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.
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
1580–90; < Middle French < Latin lāmina a thin piece or plate
1920–25; < French, equivalent to lame lame 2 + -é < Latin -ātus -ate 1
You might describe a limping dog that's lost the use of one of its legs as lame, which means "disabled in a leg or foot." It's less common than describing injured animals as lame, but sometimes you'll hear the word lame used to describe a limping person too. This usage is generally considered to be outdated or inappropriate. Lame is probably most often used to mean generally weak or pathetic — but many people consider this usage to be offensive as well.
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Lame says people with suspected Ebola have samples taken to determine whether or not they have the virus, and another one 48 hours later if the first comes back negative.
From BBC • Jun. 1, 2026
The audience also cheered TikTok star Khaby Lame, tennis great Maria Sharapova and an Olympics-style parade of tech founders bearing their nations' flags.
From Barron's • Nov. 11, 2025
Senegalese influencer Khaby Lame took pocket watch finery to stunning heights.
From Salon • May 6, 2025
Lame spoke with The Envelope by phone from her home in Los Angeles.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 28, 2023
Then Lame Einar took up his sticks again; he righted himself between them, for balance, and went slowly away.
From "Son" by Lois Lowry
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
