lame 1 of 2

adjective

ˈlām How to pronounce lame (audio)
Definition of lamenext
1
as in pitiful
arousing or deserving of one's loathing and disgust that's a pretty lame way to treat someone

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in unacceptable
falling short of a standard the amenities at this hotel are lame; there's not even free Wi-Fi in the room

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

lame

2 of 2

verb

as in to cripple
to cause severe or permanent injury to we were afraid that the horse would be lamed by its horrible fall

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of lame
Adjective
Our lame-duck governor is happily corrupt and no longer answerable to Floridians. — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 30 May 2026 On paper, some of the six, all of whom are far-right conservatives, have enviable educational backgrounds, but the record has proven that each one is openly political and willing to rubber-stamp nearly all of DeSantis’ lame and unconstitutional policies. — Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 20 June 2026 In November 2008 an errant air strike, conducted under auspices of a lame-duck Bush administration, killed 37 civilians who were at a wedding party in Wech Baghtu, Afghanistan. — Ta-Nehisi Coates, Vanity Fair, 15 June 2026 The Browns are clearly in rebuild mode, with 2026 expected to be a lame-duck season at quarterback with Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders vying for the starting job for a season before the team uses the 2027 draft to select its latest quarterback of the future. — Jim Reineking, USA Today, 2 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for lame
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lame
  1. pitiful
  2. unacceptable
  3. cripple
  4. cheap
  5. poor
  6. incapacitate
  7. dirty
  8. wrong
Adjective
  • Completing the hat trick in pitiful style, Taking on the World was shot on a shoestring budget, helmed by the man behind Highlander III, and forced to rely on stock footage of real-life footballers.
    — Jon O'Brien, Vulture, 26 June 2026
  • Given the national team’s pitiful demise at the Oval, with New Zealand completing victory on the fifth morning, Ben Stokes’ revival in absentia feels like the only consolation from a miserable week.
    — Hector Vickers, New York Times, 21 June 2026
Definition of pitiful
Adjective
  • In their grievance letter, the detainees called the markups an unacceptable business practice with no apparent limit.
    — Andrea Castillo, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026
  • Overt racial prejudice, long considered socially unacceptable, is increasingly visible in public life, marking a shift from previously subtle forms.
    — Maia Niguel Hoskin, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
Definition of unacceptable
Verb
  • Sanctions on remittance and food delivery apps could further cripple the island nation, María José Espinosa, executive director of the Center for Engagement and Advocacy in the Americas, said.
    — Rick Jervis, USA Today, 1 July 2026
  • As a result, teams across the league have become more wary about handing out big-money, long-term deals in free agency, as one mistake has the potential to cripple a franchise.
    — Bryan Toporek, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026
Definition of cripple
Adjective
  • Microchips are relatively cheap and are required for every pet in Los Angeles County over 4 months old.
    — Sandra McDonald, Los Angeles Times, 3 July 2026
  • Prove Your Claims With Evidence In a market flooded with AI capabilities, claims are cheap, and every launch sounds the same.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
Definition of cheap
Adjective
  • Overflowing poor drainage areas in urban areas of northwest Hickory and in the Northlakes area of Caldwell County.
    — NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 7 July 2026
  • There was a lot of poor decision-making with this match, on and off the pitch.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2026
Definition of poor
Verb
  • There's an apocryphal story about its creations; supposedly Kryptonite was invented so Superman's voice actor Bud Collyer could take vacations while the Man of Steel was incapacitated.
    — James Grebey, Time, 26 June 2026
  • Airbus UpNext's DragonFly project is developing AI that manages complex emergencies autonomously when the crew is incapacitated.
    — Tanya Eves, Forbes.com, 23 June 2026
Definition of incapacitate
Adjective
  • Or stands proudly athwart a county that has long demonized it as too dirty, too crime-ridden — in other words, too Latino.
    — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026
  • At the center sits a giant mound of dirty work clothes, and hidden speakers play a nonstop whisper of the laborers’ names.
    — Jeff Chu, Travel + Leisure, 6 July 2026
Definition of dirty
Adjective
  • Critics, and even some supporters, said Soto-Martínez was making his move at the wrong time.
    — Melissa Gomez, Los Angeles Times, 4 July 2026
  • That could always be wrong, of course, but at least that’s the garage talk heading into the weekend.
    — Jess Bryant, New York Times, 4 July 2026
Definition of wrong

Browse Nearby Words

lambskins
lame
lamebrain
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Cite this Entry

“Lame.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lame. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on lame

Nglish: Translation of lame for Spanish Speakers

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