Lame

Pronunciation

• UK IPA: /leɪm/
• Rhymes: -eɪm

From Old English lama, from the Proto-Germanic *lama-, from Proto-Indo-European *lem- ("to crush; fragile").

Pokorny 2365.

Akin to German lahm and Dutch lam, Old Norse lami, Swedish, Danish and Norwegian lam, akin to Old Church Slavonic ломити (lomiti, "to break").

Full definition of lame

Adjective

1. Unable to walk properly because of a problem with one's feet or legs.
2. Moving with pain or difficulty on account of injury, defect or temporary obstruction of a function.a lame leg, arm or muscle
3. (by extension) Hobbling; limping; inefficient; imperfect.
• Barrowa lame endeavour
• ShakespeareO, most lame and impotent conclusion!
4. (slang) Unconvincing or unbelievable.He had a really lame excuse for missing the birthday party.
5. (slang) Failing to be cool, funny, interesting or relevant.He kept telling these extremely lame jokes all night.
6. (slang)Strangely corny or sweet to an extent."I told him not to bring me flowers, so he brought a bunch of carrots instead. It was lame but it made me smile"

Usage notes

Referring to a person without a disability as “lame” is offensive to many as it suggests a derogatory characterization of the physical condition from which the term was derived.

Synonyms

• (unable to walk properly because of a problem with one's feet or legs) crippled
• (moving with difficulty)
• (by extension, hobbling) hobbling, limping, inefficient, imperfect
• (slang, unconvincing) unconvincing, unbelievable
• (slang, failing to be cool, funny, interesting, or relevant) uncool, unfunny, uninteresting, irrelevant

Antonyms

• (unable to walk properly because of a problem with one's feet or legs)
• (moving with difficulty)
• (by extension, hobbling) efficient, perfect
• (slang, unconvincing) convincing, believable
• (slang, failing to be cool, funny, interesting, or relevant) cool, funny, interesting, relevant

Derived terms

• lame duck
• lamage
• lamebrain
• lamely
• lameness
• lamestream
• lame-o

Verb

1. (transitive) to cause a person or animal to become lame
• 1877, Anna Sewell, Black Beauty: And if you don't want to lame your horse you must look sharp and get them stuck in hooves out quickly.
• 1913, D. H. Lawrence, ,Now her soul felt lamed in itself. It was her hope that was struck.

From Middle French lame, from Latin lamina.

Noun

1. A lamina.
2. (in the plural) A set of joined, overlapping metal plates.

Related terms

• lamé

Verb

1. (obsolete) To shine.

Anagrams

• amel, Elam, Elma, leam, lema, male, Malé, meal