First Known Use: before 12th century
Dictionary
1lame
adjective \ˈlām\
: having an injured leg or foot that makes walking difficult or painful
: not strong, good, or effective
: not smart or impressive
lam·erlam·est
Full Definition of LAME
1
a : having a body part and especially a limb so disabled as to impair freedom of movement b : marked by stiffness and soreness <a lame shoulder>
2
: lacking needful or desirable substance : weak, ineffectual <a lame excuse>
3
slang : not being in the know : square
4
a : inferior <a lame school> b : contemptible, nasty <lame racist jokes>
— lame·ly adverb
— lame·ness noun
See lame defined for English-language learners
See lame defined for kids
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Origin of LAME
Middle English, from Old English lama; akin to Old High German lam lame, Lithuanian limti to break down
Related to LAME
- Synonyms
- cheap, cruddy, deplorable, despicable, dirty, grubby, contemptible, lousy, mean, nasty, paltry, pitiable, pitiful, ratty, scabby, scummy, scurvy, sneaking, sorry, wretched
- Antonyms
- admirable, commendable, creditable, laudable, meritorious, praiseworthy
2lame
verb
lamedlam·ing
Definition of LAME
transitive verb
1
: to make lame : cripple
2
: to make weak or ineffective : disable
First Known Use of LAME
14th century
Related to LAME
- Synonyms
- cripple, disable, incapacitate, maim, mutilate
3lame
noun
4lame
noun \ˈlām, ˈlam\
Definition of LAME
1
: a thin plate especially of metal : lamina
2
plural : small overlapping steel plates joined to slide on one another (as in medieval armor)
Origin of LAME
Middle French, from Latin lamina
First Known Use: circa 1586
lamé
noun la·mé \lä-ˈmā, la-\
: shiny cloth that contains silver or gold threads
Full Definition of LAMÉ
: a brocaded clothing fabric made from any of various fibers combined with tinsel filling threads
See lamé defined for English-language learners
Origin of LAMÉ
French
First Known Use: 1922
Rhymes with LAMÉ
abbé, affray, agley, airplay, airway, aisleway, all-day, allay, allée, Angers, Anhui, archway, array, ashtray, assay, astray, Augier, away, aweigh, backstay, ballet, base pay, bat ray, beignet, belay, beltway, benday, beret, betray, bewray, bidet, bikeway, birthday, Biscay, Bizet, blasé, bobstay, Bombay, Bossuet, bouchée, bouclé, boule, bouquet, Bourget, bourrée, breezeway, Bouvet, Broadway, buffet, byplay, byway, cachet, café, cahier, Cambay, Cathay, causeway, chaîné, chalet, chambray, chassé, child's play, ciré, cliché, congé, convey, co-pay, Corday, corvée, coudé, coupé, crawlway, crochet, croquet, crossway, cube, curé, cy pres, DA, daresay, D-day, death ray, decay, deejay, defray, delay, dengue, dismay, display, distrait, DJ, donnée, doomsday, doorway, dossier, downplay, dragée, driveway, duvet, Earl Grey, embay, épée, essay, estray, Ewe, fair play, fairway, Feuillet, field day, filé, filet, fillet, fireclay, fishway, flambé, flight pay, floodway, flyway, folkway, footway, foray, force play, forebay, foreplay, forestay, formée, forte, fouetté, foul play, Fouquet, four-way, fourchée, foyer, franglais, frappé, freeway, Friday, frieze, fumet, gainsay, Galway, gamay, gangway, gateway, gelée, give way, glacé, godet, gourmet, Green Bay, greenway, guideway, gunplay, hair spray, halfway, hallway, Hannay, harm's way, hatchway, headway, hearsay, Hebei, Hefei, heyday, highway, hold sway, homestay, hooray, horseplay, Hubei, in play, in re, inlay, inveigh, Islay, issei, jackstay, James Bay, jennet, jeté, Jetway, Jolliet, keyway, Kobe, koine, kouprey, laneway, lay day, leeway, lifeway, Lomé, Lord's day, lwei, lycée, M-day, maguey, mainstay, make hay, Malay, malgré, man-day, Mande, Manet, manqué, margay, massé, match play, maté, May Day, Medway, melee, meze, midday, midway, Midway, Millay, Millet, mislay, misplay, moiré, Monday, Monet, Mornay, name day, Niamey, nisei, noonday, Norway, nosegay, obey, OK, olé, ombré, one-way, osprey, Otway, outlay, outré, outstay, outweigh, oyez, PA, parfait, parkway, parlay, parquet, partway, passé, pâté, pathway, pavé, payday, pearl gray, per se, pince-nez, pipe clay, piqué, piquet, pith ray, PK, plié, plissé, pommée, Pompeii, portray, prepay, projet, pulque, puree, purvey, quale, Quesnay, raceway, Rahway, railway, rappee, red bay, relay, repay, replay, risqué, roadway, Roget, role-play, ropeway, rosé, rosebay, Roubaix, roué, routeway, runway, sachet, saint's day, Salé, sansei, sashay, sauté, screenplay, scrub jay, seaway, Shark Bay, shar-pei, shipway, short-day, sick bay, sick day, sick pay, sideway, skyway, slideway, slipway, sluiceway, soigné, soiree, someday, someway, soothsay, soufflé, speedway, spillway, squeeze play, stairway, sternway, stingray, straightway, strathspey, stroke play, subway, Sunday, survey, sweet bay, swordplay, tea tray, tempeh, thoughtway, thruway, Thursday, tideway, today, Tokay, tollway, Torbay, touché, toupee, trackway, tramway, Tuesday, Twelfth Day, two-way, unlay, unsay, valet, V-day, veejay, vide, visé, Vouvray, walkway, waylay, Wednesday, weekday, white way, windway, wood ray, wordplay, workday
LAMELY Defined for Kids
1lame
adjective \ˈlām\
lam·erlam·est
Definition of LAME for Kids
1
: not able to get around without pain or difficulty <a lame horse>
2
: injured or sore so that walking or movement is painful or difficult <a lame leg>
3
: not very convincing or effective <a lame excuse>
— lame·ly adverb
— lame·ness noun
2lame
verb
lamedlam·ing
Definition of LAME for Kids
: to make or become unable to get around without pain and difficulty <lamed in a fall>
Medical Dictionary
lame
adjective \ˈlām\
lam·erlam·est
Medical Definition of LAME
: having a body part and especially a limb so disabled as to impair freedom of movement : physically disabled
—lame·ly adverb
—lame·ness noun
Learn More About LAME
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