lame

lame — adjective

1. Having an injured or weak leg or foot that makes walking difficult or impossible

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

Having an injured or weak leg or foot that makes walking difficult or impossible. Used especially for animals; applying this word to a person can sound very old-fashioned or insulting.

Example

The old horse had gone lame after the long journey through the mountains.

go lame — common verb collocation

We called the vet when our dog suddenly became lame in one leg.

lame in [body part]

Common collocations
  • go lame
  • become lame
  • lame in one leg
  • lame foot
Synonyms
  • limping

    describes the actual walking motion rather than the underlying injury

  • injured

    broader term covering any physical damage, not limited to legs

Antonyms
  • sound

    of an animal: in good physical condition, able to walk normally

Grammar Patterns

be/go/become lame

lame in [body part]

Usage Note

⚠ This sense is now widely considered offensive when used for humans. For people with mobility difficulties, use terms like 'has a limp,' 'walks with difficulty,' or 'has a leg injury.' For animals, 'lame' remains the standard veterinary term.

Common Mistakes

The cat injured its paw and became lame on it.
The cat injured its paw and became lame.
The adjective 'lame' already describes the animal's walking ability; adding 'on it' is redundant.
The man is lame from birth.
The man has walked with a limp since birth.
Using 'lame' for a person is considered offensive; rephrase to avoid the word.

2. So weak, unconvincing, or poorly put together that it fails to do what it is mea

2.adjectiveB2
Definition

So weak, unconvincing, or poorly put together that it fails to do what it is meant to do — for example, an excuse that does not persuade anyone, or a joke that does not make anyone laugh.

Example

The manager refused to accept Tuan's lame excuse for missing the deadline.

lame excuse — most common noun collocation

Critics said the film's plot was lame and full of obvious holes.

Common collocations
  • lame excuse
  • lame argument
  • lame reason
  • lame joke
  • lame attempt
Synonyms
  • weak

    broader term; 'weak' can apply to arguments, coffee, or physical strength, while 'lame' is specific to unconvincing explanations

  • feeble

    suggests even greater pitifulness; a feeble excuse is one that seems desperate

  • unconvincing

    more formal; focuses on the failure to persuade rather than the quality of the attempt itself

Antonyms
  • convincing

    an excuse or argument that successfully persuades

  • strong

    a well-supported argument that is hard to refute

Grammar Patterns

lame + excuse / argument / reason / joke / attempt

Common Mistakes

The student gave a lame handshake.
The student gave a weak handshake.
'Lame' meaning 'unsatisfactory' is used with words for explanations and attempts (excuse, argument, reason, joke, attempt), not with physical things like handshakes or smiles.

3. Describing something as dull, silly, or behind the times — the sort of thing peo

3.adjectiveB1
Definition

Describing something as dull, silly, or behind the times — the sort of thing people find uninteresting or no fun at all. Used in informal conversation, especially by younger speakers, to express disapproval of an activity, idea, or thing.

Example

Kwame said the party was lame because nobody had brought any music.

informal: lame = uncool, not fun

My younger brother thinks board games are lame, but he still plays with us.

Common collocations
  • so lame
  • really lame
  • lame party
  • lame movie
  • lame game
Synonyms
  • boring

    more neutral and widely acceptable across registers; 'boring' lacks the slangy judgment that 'lame' carries

  • uncool

    similar register and meaning; 'uncool' is slightly older slang

  • dull

    more formal, less judgmental; describes lack of excitement without personal disapproval

Antonyms
  • cool

    direct opposite in slang register; interesting, fashionable, fun

  • awesome

    strong positive slang opposite; extremely good or impressive

Grammar Patterns

be lame

so lame

really lame

Usage Note

This is the most common meaning in everyday spoken English among teenagers and young adults. It is too casual for business writing or academic essays. Avoid using this sense in formal contexts.

Common Mistakes

I was lame from walking so far.
I was sore from walking so far.
'Lame' does not mean physically tired in standard English; use 'sore,' 'tired,' or 'exhausted' instead.

lame — noun

lame — verb

Word family

  • lamely
    adverbC1
  • lameness
    nounB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/2

Lame, weak, feeble, flimsy, and poor all describe things that fail to meet a standard of quality or strength, but they are not interchangeable. Weak is the broadest term, covering arguments, excuses, coffee, tea, or even a person's physical state: 'a weak excuse' is simply one that lacks force. Feeble adds a note of pitiful inadequacy — 'a feeble attempt to apologise' suggests the effort was embarrassingly small. Flimsy focuses on lack of substance, especially for physical objects or abstract reasoning: 'a flimsy alibi' is one that has no real support. Poor describes low quality or insufficient standard: 'a poor performance' means it was below expectations. Lame is the most conversational of the group and specifically implies that an excuse, argument, or joke is so unconvincing it transparently fails at its job — for example, 'His lame excuse about the train delay was met with silence from the boss.'

weak ↗feebleflimsy ↗poor ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

  • a bit lame
  • rather lame
  • pretty lame
  • so lame

Phrases

  • go lame
  • become lame

Prepositions

  • lame in

Etymology

Proto-Indo-EuropeanProto-GermanicOld EnglishEnglish

The adjective and verb 'lame' come from Old English 'lama' (meaning 'crippled, weak-limbed'), which traces back to Proto-Germanic '*lam-' ('weak-limbed') and further to the Proto-Indo-European root '*lem-' ('to break, break off'). The figurative sense 'weak and unsatisfactory' (for an excuse or argument) appeared in the late 1300s. The modern informal sense 'boring, uncool' emerged in American English slang in the mid-1900s. The noun 'lame' meaning 'metallic fabric' is a separate word — it was taken from Old French 'lame' ('thin metal plate'), which comes from Latin 'lamina' ('thin layer or plate'). These two words have different origins and only happen to share the same spelling in modern English.