lousy
/ˈlaʊzi/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈlaʊzi/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈlau̇-zē/ (ame, mw)
lousy — adjective
- lousypositive
- lousiercomparative
- lousiestsuperlative
1. extremely bad in quality or standard — for example, food that tastes terrible, a
extremely bad in quality or standard — for example, food that tastes terrible, a service that is very slow and unfriendly, or a film that is boring and poorly made.
The hotel room had a lousy view of the parking lot and the bed was very uncomfortable.
attributive use: lousy + noun
Sofia thought the movie was lousy and walked out after thirty minutes.
We had lousy weather during our whole vacation — rain every single day.
The food at that new café is lousy, so I would not recommend eating there.
文法句型
lousy + noun (attributive)
be + lousy (predicative)
用法筆記
Frequently appears before nouns describing services, products, or experiences (service, food, weather, movie, job). This is the most common and least aggressive sense of the word.
常見錯誤
2. used to express anger, annoyance, or contempt toward something that the speaker
used to express anger, annoyance, or contempt toward something that the speaker considers worthless or insulting — for example, dismissing someone's offer of help or money as meaningless.
Jamal stuffed his lousy twenty-dollar prize into his pocket and walked away without a word.
attributive use with dismissive tone: 'his lousy [thing]'
I do not want your lousy charity — I earned this money myself.
Elena threw the lousy ring back at him and told him never to call again.
Keep your lousy advice to yourself — I did not ask for it.
- generous
opposite in connotation of value or worth
文法句型
lousy + noun (dismissing something as worthless)
用法筆記
Always used before a noun (attributive position). Often combines with a possessive adjective (my, your, his) to express personal resentment. Strongly informal — inappropriate in formal or polite conversation.
常見錯誤
3. having far too many of something or someone, especially in an unpleasant or inco
having far too many of something or someone, especially in an unpleasant or inconvenient way — for example, a beach crowded with tourists, or a town with too many fast-food restaurants.
The old town square was lousy with tourists taking selfies in front of every building.
predicative use: be + lousy + with + noun
This park is lousy with mosquitoes in the summer, so bring bug spray.
The market was lousy with vendors selling the same cheap souvenirs on every corner.
That neighbourhood has become lousy with chain restaurants; there is nowhere left to eat local food.
- crawling with
equally informal, suggests movement of insects or people
- swarming with
suggests busy movement, often of people or insects
- empty of
opposite state — having very few or none
文法句型
be + lousy + with + noun phrase
用法筆記
Always appears in the pattern 'be + lousy + with + noun' — never used without 'with'. The object is typically a large number of people or things that are seen as a nuisance. This sense cannot be used in attributive position (do not say 'a lousy-with-tourists square').