lame — unable to walk normally because of an injury or illness affecting the leg or foot
Part of speech: ADJECTIVE
Definition: unable to walk normally because of an injury or illness affecting the leg or foot
Pronunciation (IPA): /leɪm/
Example Sentences
- That movie was so lame, I fell asleep halfway through.
- The injured bird was lame and couldn't fly properly.
- His lame pickup line made everyone cringe.
lame
ADJECTIVE[/leɪm/]
unable to walk normally because of an injury or illness affecting the leg or foot
His excuse sounded lame — and nobody in the room believed it for a second.
The project failed because the team aimed too low and settled for a lame result. (lame = LOW + AIM → lame things often come from LOW effort or weak AIM → no energy, no originality, no impact)
Being lame kept him from the game, filling him with shame.
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
The word derives from Old Germanic languages, originally meaning 'broken' or 'imperfect'. Over time, the sense expanded from describing physical disability to encompassing broader meanings of 'deficient' or 'weak'.
Breakdown
Old English 'lama' (disabled, lame) developed into Middle English 'lame', with roots in Proto-Germanic *lamaz meaning 'broken' or 'crippled'.
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“That movie was so lame, I fell asleep halfway through.”
“The injured bird was lame and couldn't fly properly.”
“His lame pickup line made everyone cringe.”
“Don't give me that lame story about aliens stealing your homework!”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
Antonyms
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