lousy

[lou-zee]

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SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR lousy ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective, lous·i·er, lous·i·est.

infested with lice.

Informal.

mean or contemptible: That was a lousy thing to do.
wretchedly bad; miserable: a lousy job; I feel lousy.

Nearby words

Idioms

lousy with, Slang. 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.

Origin of lousy

First recorded in 1350–1400, lousy is from the Middle English word lousi. See louse, -y¹

SYNONYMS FOR lousy

2a. shabby, nasty, crummy.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR lousy ON THESAURUS.COM

Related formslous·i·ly, adverblous·i·ness, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for lousy

Their intentions may be good, but their execution and insight are lousy.
Grief: The Real Monster in The Babadook|Tim Teeman|December 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Thailand has had a lousy track record with functioning democracy for many decades.
‘The Hunger Games’ Stars Silent on Thai Protesters|Asawin Suebsaeng|November 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Peter Shumlin has been doing a lousy job and voters turned against him, even though he outspent his opponent five to one.
What the Hell Happened in Vermont?!|Stuart Stevens|November 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Not surprisingly, some around Barry Goldwater thought it was a lousy idea.
Remembering Reagan’s Defining Speech|Stuart Stevens|October 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST

The Getaway Car is lousy with these throwaway lines and asides.
Donald E. Westlake, The Man With The Getaway Face|Malcolm Jones|October 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Come one, come all—all you moth-eaten, lousy stiffs from Stiffville.
American Sketches|Charles Whibley
Lousy stock cannot grow fat for the nourishment given is absorbed by the lice.
Pratt's Practical Pointers on the Care of Livestock and Poultry|Pratt Food Co.
Long as you're lousy with money, and making pretty flights, you're all right.
Skyrider|B. M. Bower
I can still see dem soldiers of ours coming across Broad River, all dirty, filthy, and lousy.
Slave Narratives: a Folk History of Slavery in the United States From Interviews with Former Slaves|Work Projects Administration
I wonder, said Epistemon to Panurge, what pleasure you can find in talking thus with this lousy tatterdemalion of a monk.
Gargantua and Pantagruel, Complete.|Francois Rabelais

British Dictionary definitions for lousy

lousy

adjective lousier or lousiest

slang very mean or unpleasanta lousy thing to do

slang inferior or badthis is a lousy film

infested with lice

(foll by with) slang

provided with an excessive amount (of)he's lousy with money
full of or teeming with

Derived Formslousily, adverblousiness, noun

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

Word Origin and History for lousy

lousy

adj.

mid-14c., lousi, "infested with lice," from louse + -y (2). Figurative use as a generic adjective of abuse dates from late 14c.; sense of "swarming with" (money, etc.) is American English slang from 1843. Related: Lousiness.

lousy

adjective, lous·i·er, lous·i·est.

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Nearby words

Idioms

Origin of lousy

Examples from the Web for lousy

lousy

adjective lousier or lousiest

lousy