lousy

English

Etymology

From louse +‎ -y.

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -aʊzi

Adjective

lousy (comparative lousier, superlative lousiest)

1. Remarkably bad; of poor quality, dirty, or underhanded; mean, contemptible.
   • No offense, but your cooking is lousy.
2. Infested with lice.
3. (colloquial) Filled or packed with something.
   • The place was lousy with students.
   • She's lousy with credit cards, goes shopping every day!

Usage notes

Prior to World War II, it was an offensive insult, implying filthiness. Now considered a mild or rather dated term.

Translations

remarkably bad; of poor quality, dirty, or underhanded

Croatian: ušljiv (hr) m. Esperanto: aĉa (eo) French: pouilleux (fr) German: lausig (de) Italian: schifoso (it)

Portuguese: péssimo (pt) m., horrível (pt) Russian: низкий (ru), подлый (ru), отвратительный (ru), мерзкий (ru), (colloquial) паршивый (ru), (colloquial) фиговый (ru), (colloquial) отстойный (ru) Spanish: pésimo (es), malísimo (es), fatal (es) Swedish: värdelös (sv), urusel (sv), botten (sv)

Infested with lice

Croatian: ušljiv (hr) m. French: pouilleux (fr) German: verlaust (de) Hungarian: tetves (hu) Italian: pidocchioso (it)

Polish: zawszony (pl) m. Russian: вшивый (ru) (všívyj) Spanish: piojoso (es) Swedish: nedlusad (sv), lusig (sv) Turkish: bitli (tr)

filled with

Russian: богатый (ru), полный (ru) Spanish: lleno de (es)

Swedish: packad (sv), full (sv) (av/med)

Related terms

• cootie, crab louse, crabs, louse, pubic louse