Word
lousy
US/ˈɫaʊzi/
UK/lˈaʊsi/
Definition
adj. very bad, poor in quality, or unpleasant. You use this when you are disappointed with something like a movie, the weather, or how you feel.
adj. of very poor quality; wretched or contemptible. Often used to describe physical health or the standard of a service.
Examples
“The weather was lousy during our entire vacation.”
“I feel lousy today, so I think I might be coming down with a cold.”
“Despite the high ticket prices, the acoustics in the new arena were lousy, leaving the audience frustrated by the muffled sound quality.”
Examples
simple
“The weather was lousy during our entire vacation.”
contextual
“I feel lousy today, so I think I might be coming down with a cold.”
complex
“Despite the high ticket prices, the acoustics in the new arena were lousy, leaving the audience frustrated by the muffled sound quality.”
Usage
Often follows a linking verb like 'feel', 'look', or 'be'.
Etymology
From Middle English lousy, lowsy, lousi, equivalent to louse + -y.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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englishreference.com/q/lousy