lame

¹ American  

[leym] / leɪm /

adjective

lamer, lamest

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.

3. weak; inadequate; unsatisfactory; clumsy.

   a lame excuse.

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

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

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verb (used with object)

lamed, laming

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.

lame ² American  

[leym, lam] / leɪm, lam /

noun

Armor.

plural

lames

1. any of a number of thin, overlapping plates composing a piece of plate armor, as a fauld, tasset, or gauntlet.

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lamé ³ American  

[lah-mey, la-, la-mey] / lɑˈmeɪ, læ-, laˈmeɪ /

noun

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

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lame ¹ British  

/ leɪm /

adjective

1. disabled or crippled in the legs or feet

2. painful or weak

   a lame back

3. weak; unconvincing

   a lame excuse

4. not effective or enthusiastic

   a lame try

5. slang conventional or uninspiring

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verb

1. (tr) to make lame

lamé ² British  

/ ˈlɑːmeɪ /

noun

1. 1. a fabric of silk, cotton, or wool interwoven with threads of metal

   2. ( as modifier )

      a gold lamé gown

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lame ³ British  

/ leɪm /

noun

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

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Sensitive Note

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 Word Forms

• lamely adverb
• lameness noun

Etymology

Origin of lame¹

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

Origin of lame²

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

Origin of lamé³

1920–25; < French, equivalent to lame lame ² + -é < Latin -ātus -ate ¹

Explanation

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.

Example Sentences

He’s also a lame duck and getting lamer.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 24, 2026

Powell became a lame duck almost immediately after President Donald Trump was inaugurated in January 2025.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 19, 2026

Saying the house is like a character too sounds a bit lame.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 18, 2026

Are these the actions of a lame duck, or of a leader who continues to wield great power?

From Salon • Dec. 2, 2025

Once hooked up to the scoring machines using a body cord, points register when any part of the blade makes contact with either the metal mask or the lame.

From "Proud" by Ibtihaj Muhammad

Related Words

• feeble
• flimsy
• ineffective
• weak