Lousy
adjective
Very bad or unpleasant.
She made a lousy first impression.
Often appears as...
- lousy job
- lousy day
Usage tips
Informal, Disapproving
Colloquial
adjective
Full of or infested with lice.
Her hair was lousy with lice.
Often appears as...
- lousy with lice
- lousy hair
adjective
A large amount of something.
The place was lousy with tourists.
Often appears as...
- lousy with tourists
- lousy with money
Usage tips
Informal, Disapproving
Colloquial
adjective
Very bad or unpleasant.
She made a lousy first impression.
Often appears as...
- lousy job
- lousy day
Usage tips
Informal, Disapproving
Colloquial
adjective
Full of or infested with lice.
Her hair was lousy with lice.
Often appears as...
- lousy with lice
- lousy hair
adjective
A large amount of something.
The place was lousy with tourists.
Often appears as...
- lousy with tourists
- lousy with money
Usage tips
Informal, Disapproving
Colloquial
Definition 1 of 3
Pro Tip 1/3Negative Emotion
Expresses dissatisfaction, often used to emphasize personal feelings about bad experiences.
I had a lousy time at the party.
Pro Tip 2/3Slight Rudeness
Can sound informal and slightly rude, so be cautious in polite or formal situations.
He's doing a lousy job managing the team.
Pro Tip 3/3Hyperbole
Often used for exaggeration – things may not be as bad as the word 'lousy' suggests.
You don't look lousy, just a bit tired.
Pro Tip 1/3Negative Emotion
Expresses dissatisfaction, often used to emphasize personal feelings about bad experiences.
I had a lousy time at the party.
Pro Tip 2/3Slight Rudeness
Can sound informal and slightly rude, so be cautious in polite or formal situations.
He's doing a lousy job managing the team.
Pro Tip 3/3Hyperbole
Often used for exaggeration – things may not be as bad as the word 'lousy' suggests.
You don't look lousy, just a bit tired.
Pro Tip 1/3Negative Emotion
Expresses dissatisfaction, often used to emphasize personal feelings about bad experiences.
I had a lousy time at the party.
Pro Tip 2/3Slight Rudeness
Can sound informal and slightly rude, so be cautious in polite or formal situations.
He's doing a lousy job managing the team.
Pro Tip 3/3Hyperbole
Often used for exaggeration – things may not be as bad as the word 'lousy' suggests.
You don't look lousy, just a bit tired.
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Video examples
The surprising science...
gonna show you why Dilbert already knows of course you're reading the cartoon as I'm talking dogbert's tech-support how come eh I abuse you my printer prints a blank page after every document why would you complain about getting free paper freeze the other users giving my own paper egad man look at the quality of the free paper compared to your lousy
Video examples
John Gerzema: The...
I'll give you a few examples. One is the rise toward communities and neighborhoods, and increased emphasis on your neighbors as your support system. Also, a wonderful by-product of a really lousy thing, which has been unemployment, is a rise in volunteerism that's been noted in our country.
Video examples
Isabel Allende: A...
is this sort of collective unconscious where we are all the same we are all brothers or sisters that's beautiful that's great did you so you began life as a writer I think writing nonfiction well you were a journal well it was featuring in my case I was a lousy journalist okay so if I
Video examples
Polar Bear: Arctic Apex...
below the killer proved that there were polar bears in the area we were getting close the ring seal love's in that hole underneath the stone that layer underneath yeah I'd make a lousy pour and so would you so how how long will it take him to do
Video examples
Arunachalam Muruganantham...
while I'm walking, while I'm cycling, I made a press, doses of blood will go there. That makes me bow down to any woman in front of me to give full respect. That five days I'll never forget -- the messy days, the lousy days, that wetness.
Video examples
Stephen Petranek: 10...
It may seem ridiculous, but we have a really lousy history of anticipating things like this and actually being prepared for them. How much energy and money does it take to actually have a plan to negotiate with an advanced species?
Video examples
Stop being a bystander...
and three women, and I was one of them. And I'm a lousy cook. I'm a really good navigator. I think the second most profound thought in my entire life "No man is ever going to allow me to be a navigator on their boat, ever."
Video examples
Chris Anderson: How...
For the first time in human history, talented students don't have to have their potential and their dreams written out of history by lousy teachers. They can sit two feet in front of the world's finest.
Video examples
Chris Anderson: How...
first time in human history talented students don't have to have their potential in their dreams written out of history by lousy teachers they can sit two feet in front of the world's finest
Video examples
How I discovered DNA -...
Rosen Franklin came up and sort of laughed at our model they said it was lousy and it was so we were told to build no more models we were incompetent and so we didn't build any models and
Video examples
The surprising science...
gonna show you why Dilbert already knows of course you're reading the cartoon as I'm talking dogbert's tech-support how come eh I abuse you my printer prints a blank page after every document why would you complain about getting free paper freeze the other users giving my own paper egad man look at the quality of the free paper compared to your lousy
Video examples
John Gerzema: The...
I'll give you a few examples. One is the rise toward communities and neighborhoods, and increased emphasis on your neighbors as your support system. Also, a wonderful by-product of a really lousy thing, which has been unemployment, is a rise in volunteerism that's been noted in our country.
Video examples
Isabel Allende: A...
is this sort of collective unconscious where we are all the same we are all brothers or sisters that's beautiful that's great did you so you began life as a writer I think writing nonfiction well you were a journal well it was featuring in my case I was a lousy journalist okay so if I
Video examples
Polar Bear: Arctic Apex...
below the killer proved that there were polar bears in the area we were getting close the ring seal love's in that hole underneath the stone that layer underneath yeah I'd make a lousy pour and so would you so how how long will it take him to do
Video examples
Arunachalam Muruganantham...
while I'm walking, while I'm cycling, I made a press, doses of blood will go there. That makes me bow down to any woman in front of me to give full respect. That five days I'll never forget -- the messy days, the lousy days, that wetness.
Video examples
Stephen Petranek: 10...
It may seem ridiculous, but we have a really lousy history of anticipating things like this and actually being prepared for them. How much energy and money does it take to actually have a plan to negotiate with an advanced species?
Video examples
Stop being a bystander...
and three women, and I was one of them. And I'm a lousy cook. I'm a really good navigator. I think the second most profound thought in my entire life "No man is ever going to allow me to be a navigator on their boat, ever."
Video examples
Chris Anderson: How...
For the first time in human history, talented students don't have to have their potential and their dreams written out of history by lousy teachers. They can sit two feet in front of the world's finest.
Video examples
Chris Anderson: How...
first time in human history talented students don't have to have their potential in their dreams written out of history by lousy teachers they can sit two feet in front of the world's finest
Video examples
How I discovered DNA -...
Rosen Franklin came up and sort of laughed at our model they said it was lousy and it was so we were told to build no more models we were incompetent and so we didn't build any models and
Example 1 of 10
Quote examples
Martha Beck
American Author
Many of us have spent a lifetime trying to be what we're not, feeling lousy about ourselves when we fail and sometimes even when we succeed. We hide our differences when, by accepting and celebrating them, we could collaborate to make every effort more exciting, productive, enjoyable, and powerful. Personally, I think we should start right now.
Quote examples
Tom Watson
American Golfer
When you come off that last hole and you've just finished a good round of golf, life is good. When you come off that last hole and you messed it up through four or five holes and just played a lousy round of golf, it's just not a very good day. It just isn't.
Quote examples
Amy Waldman
American Author
Work less than you think you should. It took me a while to realise there was a point each day when my creativity ran out and I was just producing words - usually lousy ones - for their own sake. And nap: it helps to refresh the brain, at least mine.
Quote examples
Tyne Daly
American Actress
What I like is the acting itself. But I'm a lousy celebrity. I'm not interested in selling my private life. I take my private feelings to the work, but I want there to be a difference between me and whoever it is I'm playing.
Quote examples
Elizabeth Vargas
American Journalist
I worked in three local news markets and in every single one of them, they said: 'You're a lousy anchor. We would love to renew your contract and have you be our lead reporter here, but we're not going to have you anchor.
Quote examples
Jon Taffer
American Businessman
You give me someone with the right personality, and I'll give you a bar manager in three weeks. You give me someone who has been a lousy bar manager for 30 years, and in three weeks, you'll still have a lousy bar manager.
Quote examples
Andrew Ross Sorkin
American Journalist
In many ways, education is a lousy business. Teachers are not normal economic actors; almost all of them work for less money than they might fetch in some other industry, given their skills and advanced degrees.
Quote examples
Peter Gallagher
American Actor
I was about to get a degree in economics when I accepted that I'd be a lousy businessman, and if I didn't give acting a try I'd regret it for the rest of my life.
Quote examples
John Mortimer
English Novelist
One thing my father said was that if you find yourself in a country where you have to carry papers, you know it has a lousy government.
Quote examples
Garrison Keillor
American Writer
A good newspaper is never nearly good enough but a lousy newspaper is a joy forever.
Quote examples
Martha Beck
American Author
Many of us have spent a lifetime trying to be what we're not, feeling lousy about ourselves when we fail and sometimes even when we succeed. We hide our differences when, by accepting and celebrating them, we could collaborate to make every effort more exciting, productive, enjoyable, and powerful. Personally, I think we should start right now.
Quote examples
Tom Watson
American Golfer
When you come off that last hole and you've just finished a good round of golf, life is good. When you come off that last hole and you messed it up through four or five holes and just played a lousy round of golf, it's just not a very good day. It just isn't.
Quote examples
Amy Waldman
American Author
Work less than you think you should. It took me a while to realise there was a point each day when my creativity ran out and I was just producing words - usually lousy ones - for their own sake. And nap: it helps to refresh the brain, at least mine.
Quote examples
Tyne Daly
American Actress
What I like is the acting itself. But I'm a lousy celebrity. I'm not interested in selling my private life. I take my private feelings to the work, but I want there to be a difference between me and whoever it is I'm playing.
Quote examples
Elizabeth Vargas
American Journalist
I worked in three local news markets and in every single one of them, they said: 'You're a lousy anchor. We would love to renew your contract and have you be our lead reporter here, but we're not going to have you anchor.
Quote examples
Jon Taffer
American Businessman
You give me someone with the right personality, and I'll give you a bar manager in three weeks. You give me someone who has been a lousy bar manager for 30 years, and in three weeks, you'll still have a lousy bar manager.
Quote examples
Andrew Ross Sorkin
American Journalist
In many ways, education is a lousy business. Teachers are not normal economic actors; almost all of them work for less money than they might fetch in some other industry, given their skills and advanced degrees.
Quote examples
Peter Gallagher
American Actor
I was about to get a degree in economics when I accepted that I'd be a lousy businessman, and if I didn't give acting a try I'd regret it for the rest of my life.
Quote examples
John Mortimer
English Novelist
One thing my father said was that if you find yourself in a country where you have to carry papers, you know it has a lousy government.
Quote examples
Garrison Keillor
American Writer
A good newspaper is never nearly good enough but a lousy newspaper is a joy forever.
Example 1 of 10
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