physically disabled, especially in the foot or leg so as to limp or walk with difficulty.
a lame racehorse.
impaired or disabled through defect or injury.
a lame arm.
weak; inadequate; unsatisfactory; clumsy.
a lame excuse.
Slang: Sometimes Disparaging and Offensive. awkward, dull, stupid, or uninteresting.
Slang: Sometimes Disparaging and Offensive. out of touch with modern fads or trends; unsophisticated.
disabled or crippled in the legs or feet
painful or weak
a lame back
weak; unconvincing
a lame excuse
not effective or enthusiastic
a lame try
slang conventional or uninspiring
Many speakers do not recognize or consider the connection between the medical and slang senses of lame . Nevertheless, using a term associated with injury or disability as a general insult is sometimes perceived as insensitive to or by people with disabilities.
First recorded before 900; Middle English (adjective and verb); Old English lama (adjective); cognate with Dutch lam, German lahm, Old Norse lami; akin to Lithuanian lúomas
1580–90; < Middle French < Latin lāmina a thin piece or plate
1920–25; < French, equivalent to lame lame 2 + -é < Latin -ātus -ate 1
You might describe a limping dog that's lost the use of one of its legs as lame, which means "disabled in a leg or foot." It's less common than describing injured animals as lame, but sometimes you'll hear the word lame used to describe a limping person too. This usage is generally considered to be outdated or inappropriate. Lame is probably most often used to mean generally weak or pathetic — but many people consider this usage to be offensive as well.
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
As lame as the fact that an Erewhon smoothie costs $19 is that so many of us need to be paid to be nice to each other.
From Los Angeles Times • May 25, 2026
So there may not be any significant surprises from the Fed on Wednesday, especially now that Powell is essentially a lame duck.
From Barron's • Apr. 28, 2026
I suppose you could keep the plate umpires around for aesthetics, let them keep the mask and call foul tips and hit batters, but that’s lame.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 26, 2026
Powell became a lame duck almost immediately after President Donald Trump was inaugurated in January 2025.
From MarketWatch • Feb. 19, 2026
The disguise was a lame one and not even culturally accurate, my fact-driven brain was quick to point out.
From "Glitch" by Laura Martin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
