really lame
5
7.5
- adjective
- /ˈrɪli leɪm/
- Informal
:
muy flojo
- We were at this anti-corporate rally and, uh, Blue made this really lame speech.
- sounds really lame
And I put a science party, which sounds really lame.
- And I put a science party, which sounds really lame.
- Or you can cut it and say that was really lame.
- Well, what was really lame was that the parents would let the kids sing, like, full length songs.
- His magic consisted of doing really lame tricks, really underwhelming tricks, but he was actually doing the trick.
- You know, my feeling is, is that that, you know, the traditional advertising on the web, like billboards and things like that are really lame and like people are sort of over it.
- Did I look like a bad ass action star with guns but instead the really lame non star with my school logs?
Examples
-
That was a really lame, stupid question.
Fiction book (2000) -
So... so that line about you talking in your sleep, that was... that was really lame.
-
That is really lame, if you ask me.
-
Complaining about being busy is really lame.
Blog text (20) -
The reasons provided for not administering the SAT in the summer are really lame and could be solved.
Blog text (14) -
This is really lame.
-
Wow, that's really lame.
-
That's really lame that they didn't credit you or Design Sponge as well.
Blog text (21) -
I fear that JC feels it's been explained by Sam "being alone" or having no one to help him research or thinking Dean was dead, but those are really lame reasons/excuses in my opinion.
Blog text (20) -
His explanation for being late was really lame and no one believed him.
Synonyms
350
6.8
Weak and not convincing, often given as an excuse
28
9.5
Very unfunny and not impressive, so people feel disappointed
19
4.6
Weak and not convincing as an excuse or argument
Very weak and unconvincing, like a poor excuse
Antonyms
How Weak
- Offensive
702
3.9
- Informal
5
7.5
- Offensive
350
6.8
312
1.5
195
3.4
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'very weak/unconvincing' is directly and transparently derived from combining 'really' (an intensifier) with 'lame' (pathetically weak or ineffective). This simple intensifier + adjective pattern is common in English and cross-linguistically, so a B1 learner who knows both words will readily infer the MWE meaning.
Etymology
Really lame comes from the old meaning of lame as 'unable to walk' or 'limping'. People used the picture of something that cannot stand or move well for ideas or excuses that are weak, so really lame now means 'very weak' or 'unconvincing'.