lame

11 synonyms and 5 antonyms for lame, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.

Adj — Unable to walk normally because of an injury or problem with the legs or feet.

Synonyms

Everyday swaps

Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.

weak game

Less common

Still standard English, but they carry more weight.

crippled halt

Rare, literary or technical

Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.

feeble unconvincing flimsy uninspiring hobbling gimpy halting

Synonyms by Meaning

1. adj

Unable to walk normally because of an injury or problem with the legs or feet.

“The lame dog limped slowly along the path beside its owner.”

feeble weak unconvincing flimsy uninspiring hobbling crippled game halt gimpy halting

Opposites

agile

2. adj

Weak, unconvincing, or poorly thought out.

“Her argument was lame, and nobody in the meeting was convinced by it.”

Opposites

convincing believable

3. adj

Informally, boring, uncool, or disappointing.

“My friends said the film was lame, so we switched it off halfway.”

Opposites

snazzy rad

How to use lame

The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.

lame excuse go lame that's so lame

The "uncool/boring" sense is informal slang; avoid it in formal writing, and be aware some people find using "lame" to mean "bad" insensitive given its literal disability meaning.

Etymology

From Old English lama ("lame"), a Germanic word originally meaning "broken" or "weakened."

Full origin of lame →

Frequently asked questions

What does “lame” mean?

The word “lame” means unable to walk normally because of an injury or problem with the legs or feet. In plain terms, unable to walk properly, or (informally) weak, unconvincing, or just plain uncool.

How do you pronounce “lame”?

“Lame” is pronounced laym (/leɪm/ in IPA).

How do you use “lame” in a sentence?

Here is “lame” used in a sentence: “The horse went lame after stepping in a hole.”

What part of speech is “lame”?

“Lame” is an adjective.

Where does the word “lame” come from?

The word “lame” comes from Old English. From Old English lama ("lame"), a Germanic word originally meaning "broken" or "weakened.".

Is “lame” a common word?

“Lame” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B2 level.

How many meanings does “lame” have?

“Lame” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: unable to walk normally because of an injury or problem with the legs or feet.

What is the difference between "lame" and "limping"?

"Lame" is an adjective describing a lasting inability to walk normally because of injury to the legs or feet, while "limping" is the action of walking unevenly and is often temporary. A person or animal that is lame will usually limp.

Is it offensive to call a person "lame"?

Using "lame" to describe a person's physical disability is now widely considered outdated and insensitive, and wording such as "has a mobility impairment" is preferred. The informal sense meaning "boring" or "uncool" is casual slang and is unrelated to disability.

What is the difference between the literal and slang meanings of "lame"?

Literally, "lame" means unable to walk normally, or, of an argument, weak and unconvincing. In informal slang it means boring, uncool, or disappointing, as in "a lame party" or "a lame excuse."

What are common collocations with "lame"?

Frequent pairings include "lame excuse," "lame joke," and "lame duck." A "lame duck" refers to an official, especially a politician, whose term is ending and who therefore has reduced influence.

People also searched

game weak convincing halt rad crippled agile feeble believable unconvincing flimsy snazzy

Nearby words

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