lousy

comparative lousier · superlative lousiest · alternative obsolete lowsy · alternative obsolete lowsie · alternative lousey

1. Unwanted and often unpleasant.
   1. colloquialInsufficient and less than expected of a good thing.

      I worked here all summer and all I got was this lousy T-shirt.

      Synonyms: disagreeable, undesired, abhorrant, abhorrent, bad, sickly, mean, infernal

   2. colloquialRemarkably bad; of poor quality.

      No offense, but his cooking is lousy.

      1 more example

      Must have been a lousy school.

      2021 September 15, Unknown minister, Singapore Parliament debates on 15 September 2021

      Synonyms: disagreeable, undesired, abhorrant, abhorrent, bad, sickly, mean, infernal

   3. colloquialDirty or untidy.

      I cleaned the lousy garage.

      Synonyms: disagreeable, undesired, abhorrant, abhorrent, bad, sickly, mean, infernal

   4. colloquialUnderhanded; mean; contemptible.

      I've had enough of lousy backstabbing at this place.

      Synonyms: disagreeable, undesired, abhorrant, abhorrent, bad, sickly, mean, infernal

2. colloquialUnwell; under the weather.

   I caught a cold and I've been feeling lousy all week.

   Synonyms: bad, poorly, sick, ailing, bad, crank, crook, green about the gills

3. Infested with lice.

   Synonyms: licey

4. colloquialusuallyFilled or packed (with something, usually bad).

   The place was lousy with students.

   2 more examples

   The benignant influence crept like gas through the Row. […] And triangulation might possibly have located it in the Palace Flophouse and Grill. Certainly the Palace was lousy with it. Mack and the boys were charged. Jones was seen to leap from his chair only to do a quick tap dance and sit down again.

   1945, John Steinbeck, Cannery Row

   [I talked to] Annabeth about the Greek gods who hung out in New York and made her life difficult. Apparently North America was lousy with ancient gods. We had a full-blown infestation.

   2016, Rick Riordan, The Hammer of Thor, page 6

   Synonyms: riddled, -ridden, inundated, jam-packed, teeming