1
as in pitiful
arousing or deserving of one's loathing and disgust
that's a pretty lame way to treat someone
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of lame
Zach Dean Outkick, FOXNews.com, 24 Apr. 2026
This idea that just sitting with your face buried in your phone when you’re supposed to be in a social setting—that’s lame, right?
—Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 24 Apr. 2026
But through a combination of legal legerdemain and a lame-duck power grab in Sacramento, the Democratic maps went into place anyway.
—Chris Stirewalt, The Hill, 24 Apr. 2026
The band felt embarrassed wearing those lame outfits.
—Literary Hub, 21 Apr. 2026
Full lame-duck seasons like the one coming up here are rare; and for good reason.
—Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 19 Apr. 2026
By embracing a lame-duck year, Kerr shifted the power dynamic.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 18 Apr. 2026
Unlike most lame-duck governors, California’s Gavin Newsom seems ascendant.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 15 Apr. 2026
There wasn’t much the voters could do with a menu so lame.
—Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 15 Apr. 2026
Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 19 Feb. 2025
There's nothing watery, limp, or lame about an onion boil.
—Melissa Gray, Southern Living, 21 Nov. 2024
And unlike other bread lames that don’t conceal the razor, this one opens and closes for maximum safety.
—Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 Feb. 2024
The question is, then, how can two lames convince the girls to look their way?
—Vulture, 6 June 2023
Adjective
And getting all giddy over some lame light beer that has apple juice poured into to is just plain embarrassing.
—Zach Dean Outkick, FOXNews.com, 24 Apr. 2026
This idea that just sitting with your face buried in your phone when you’re supposed to be in a social setting—that’s lame, right?
—Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 24 Apr. 2026
But through a combination of legal legerdemain and a lame-duck power grab in Sacramento, the Democratic maps went into place anyway.
—Chris Stirewalt, The Hill, 24 Apr. 2026
The band felt embarrassed wearing those lame outfits.
—Literary Hub, 21 Apr. 2026
Full lame-duck seasons like the one coming up here are rare; and for good reason.
—Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 19 Apr. 2026
By embracing a lame-duck year, Kerr shifted the power dynamic.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 18 Apr. 2026
Unlike most lame-duck governors, California’s Gavin Newsom seems ascendant.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 15 Apr. 2026
There wasn’t much the voters could do with a menu so lame.
—Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 15 Apr. 2026
Verb
Additional accessories High-end proofing baskets can come with many other helpful accessories like scrapers, bonus lames and even instructional e-books or DVDs.
—Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 19 Feb. 2025
There's nothing watery, limp, or lame about an onion boil.
—Melissa Gray, Southern Living, 21 Nov. 2024
And unlike other bread lames that don’t conceal the razor, this one opens and closes for maximum safety.
—Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 Feb. 2024
The question is, then, how can two lames convince the girls to look their way?
—Vulture, 6 June 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lame
Adjective
-
These two beacons of truth and connoisseurs of mess have been bonded for over a decade, sharing the traumas of a crappy Boston dorm room and a pitiful Brooklyn dating scene.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
21 Apr. 2026
-
Most of the time, experts say, vaguebooking boils down to a pitiful plea for attention on the part of the poster.—
Charles Trepany,
USA Today,
9 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Those parties clinging to the outdated and socially unacceptable business model that relies on selling puppy mill puppies to unsuspecting consumers are no longer welcome in nine states and over 520 localities and some are looking for a new home.—
Annie Hornish,
Hartford Courant,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Adamawa State Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri denounced the attack as tragic and unacceptable during a visit to the village on Monday.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
That has crippled Iran’s two biggest non-oil exports, and higher prices have affected everything from plastics to pipes, to fabrics and packaging for groceries like milk, butter and cheese.—
Amir-Hussein Radjy,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Apr. 2026
-
That has crippled Iran’s two biggest non-oil exports, and higher prices have affected everything from plastics to pipes, to fabrics and packaging for groceries like milk, butter and cheese.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The carrier failed to secure a financial lifeline to continue operating, ending the discount air travel pioneer’s time in the sky, costing some 17,000 jobs and thousands of cheap flights in the market.—
Leslie Josephs,
CNBC,
2 May 2026
-
Villa can be vulnerable to cheap giveaways in midfield, so Emery moved Morgan Rogers alongside Watkins up front and in the inside-right channel, higher upfield and not in central or deep positions where he can be swarmed.—
Jacob Tanswell,
New York Times,
1 May 2026
Adjective
-
Injuries to key players on the Amazin’s contributed to some poor numbers as well.—
Fiifi Frimpong,
New York Daily News,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Although poor students are disproportionately likely to receive special education in New York City, well-off disabled kids are the ones most acutely driving up the budget.—
Marc Novicoff,
The Atlantic,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The film, starring Anne Hathaway and Dakota Johnson and slated to hit theaters October 2, follows Lowen Ashleigh (Johnson), a struggling writer who is hired to complete a successful book series after its author, Verity Crawford (Hathaway), is incapacitated.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
27 Apr. 2026
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Mojtaba Khamenei’s absence from public life has raised speculation that he could be incapacitated or dead.—
Mike Brest,
The Washington Examiner,
22 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The drinks attract younger women, typically age 16 to 35, and are aimed at health-conscious customers that don’t want Swig’s more caloric and filling dirty sodas, CEO Alex Dunn said.—
Jordan Valinsky,
CNN Money,
28 Apr. 2026
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That wasn’t the only utensil stored in a dirty place.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Perhaps the owner’s unexpected absence was an indication that the rumors about my imminent demise were wrong and that things were not so certain.—
Saïd Sayrafiezadeh,
New Yorker,
26 Apr. 2026
-
After a week where everything that could have gone wrong did and the noise surrounding the club threatened to swallow the team whole, the Red Sox finally broke their four-game slide in grand fashion and got to enjoy a nice, drama-free win.—
Mac Cerullo,
Hartford Courant,
25 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Lame.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lame. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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