lousy

American  

[lou-zee] / ˈlaʊ zi /

adjective

lousier, lousiest

1. infested with lice.

2. Informal.

   1. mean or contemptible.

      That was a lousy thing to do.

   2. wretchedly bad; miserable.

      a lousy job; I feel lousy.

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idioms

1. lousy with, well supplied with or filled with, often to excess.

   Our city is lousy with bad drivers.

   I wish I were lousy with money like my boss.

lousy British  

/ ˈlaʊzɪ /

adjective

1. slang very mean or unpleasant

   a lousy thing to do

2. slang inferior or bad

   this is a lousy film

3. infested with lice

4. slang (foll by with)

   1. provided with an excessive amount (of)

      he's lousy with money

   2. full of or teeming with

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Other Word Forms

• lousily adverb
• lousiness noun

Etymology

Origin of lousy

First recorded in 1350–1400, lousy is from the Middle English word lousi. See louse, -y ¹

Example Sentences

But, elsewhere, there's just an anger about a club on the drift, making lousy decisions, going backwards domestically and in Europe while sitting on close to £80m in the bank.

From BBC

See: Americans say the economy is lousy, but their spending habits say the economy is pretty good.

From MarketWatch

But to see its empowering mania catch on with young girls in an era lousy with messages devaluing a woman’s worth is particularly gratifying.

From Salon

Buffalo’s defense is great against the pass but lousy against the run.

From Los Angeles Times

The weather’s getting lousy and the kids need something to watch, so…why not?

From MarketWatch

Related Words

• awful
• horrible
• miserable
• poor
• rotten
• second-rate
• shoddy
• terrible