lame
Limping or pathetic
Lame originally described a person or animal unable to walk normally due to injury or disability: The horse went lame after the race.
He was lame in one leg from childhood.
This sense remains standard in veterinary and some medical contexts.
By extension, lame came to mean weak, unconvincing, or inadequate: a lame excuse, a lame attempt.
In slang, lame means uncool or pathetic: That party was lame.
Some disability advocates object to the slang usage as perpetuating ableist attitudes, though most speakers are unaware of the connection.
Lacking power or force
- feebleWeak and ineffective
- patheticArousing scornful pity
- flimsyWeak and easily damaged
- poorLacking sufficient resources
inadequate · half-hearted · unpersuasive · implausible · thin · hollow · dubious · questionable
Lacking social appeal
- cornyTiresomely sentimental or trite
- cheesyCheap and insincere
- dorkyAwkwardly unfashionable
- squareRhombus with right angles
unfunny · cringeworthy · outdated · unimpressive · disappointing · mediocre · uninspired · stale
Uneven gait from injury
- hobblingWalking with impairment
- crippledSeverely damaged or impaired
- impairedWeakened in function
- gimpyWalking with impairment
halting · shuffling · favoring · injured · sprained · stiff · arthritic · wheelchair
Without practical value
- pointlessLacking any purpose
- futileIncapable of producing results
- fruitlessProducing no useful outcome
- impotentLacking power or efficacy
toothless · powerless · unsuccessful · abortive · vain · unavailing · unproductive · incompetent
Metallic-threaded fabric
- plateFlat dish for food
- layeredHaving multiple levels
- overlappingCovering part of another
- scaleMeasure of relative size
metal · protective · covering · mail · segmented
weak
Lacking power or force
poor · inadequate · half-hearted · unpersuasive · implausible · thin · hollow · dubious · questionable · shaky
uncool
Lacking social appeal
square · unfunny · cringeworthy · outdated · unimpressive · disappointing · mediocre · uninspired · stale · tired
limping
Uneven gait from injury
gimpy · halting · shuffling · favoring · injured · sprained · stiff · arthritic · wheelchair · crutches
useless
Without practical value
- pointlessLacking any purpose
- futileIncapable of producing results
- fruitlessProducing no useful outcome
impotent · toothless · powerless · unsuccessful · abortive · vain · unavailing · unproductive · incompetent · incapable
lamé
Metallic-threaded fabric
- plateFlat dish for food
- layeredHaving multiple levels
- overlappingCovering part of another
lameable-bodied
Physically fit, healthy
mobile · agile · nimble · spry · fleet-footed
lameconvincing
Able to persuade
compelling · persuasive · credible · solid · airtight
- lame duckOfficeholder serving final term
- lame excuse
- lame brainsFoolish, unintelligent people
- lame duck sessionPost-election legislative period
- gold lameFabric interwoven with metallic threads
- middle lamellaShared boundary between adjacent cells