What does lousy mean?
Lousy is an informal adjective used to describe something extremely bad, unpleasant, disappointing, or poorly made. In everyday conversation, it is often more expressive than simply saying that something is bad: a performance might be lousy, the weather might be lousy, or someone might say they feel lousy after a difficult day. The word can also have a literal meaning, describing something infested with lice, although that sense is much less common in modern usage. Its force comes from an old, vivid association with infestation and physical discomfort, which helps explain why it conveys such strong disapproval. Because it is casual and sometimes dismissive, lousy is better suited to speech, informal writing, and expressions of personal frustration than to formal criticism, technical description, or careful evaluation. It appears in both British and American English and is especially useful when a speaker wants to convey emphatic dissatisfaction.
adjectiveLousy is an informal adjective meaning very bad, unpleasant, or of poor quality. It can also mean infested with or full of lice.
- Very bad, unpleasant, or of poor quality.
- Infested with or full of lice.
"The service was lousy, and nobody was willing to help."
"We had a lousy weekend because the weather was miserable."
"The puppy's coat was lousy with fleas and had to be treated immediately."
Lousy began with a literal image of something infested with lice, then became a vivid informal word for anything that is simply terrible.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does lousy come from?
Lousy is an English word formed from louse and the suffix -y. Its literal sense refers to being full of or infested with lice, while its figurative sense developed to mean contemptibly bad, unpleasant, or mean. The word is related to louse, lice, and compounds such as lousewort, which likewise reflect the older Germanic root for the parasitic insect.
Related word forms
How lousy is actually used
Lousy is informal and often dismissive or emphatic. It is common in everyday speech in both British and American English, while its literal meaning is used less frequently outside descriptions of infestation.
Easily confused with lousy
Loose means not tightly fastened or fixed, whereas lousy is an informal word meaning very bad or unpleasant, or full of lice.