lame

See also: lamé, lamè, and lamę

English

Pronunciation

• (UK, US) IPA^(key): /leɪm/

• Audio (AU)

  (file)

• Audio (UK)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -eɪm
• Hyphenation: lame

Etymology 1

From Middle English lame, from Old English lama (“lame”), from Proto-West Germanic *lam, from Proto-Germanic *lamaz (“lame”), from Proto-Indo-European *lem- (“to crush; fragile”).

Adjective

lame (comparative lamer, superlative lamest)

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.
   • a. 1678 (date written)​, Isaac Barrow, “(please specify the chapter name or sermon number). Of Industry in General”, in The Works of Dr. Isaac Barrow. […], volume (please specify |volume=I to VII), London: A[braham] J[ohn] Valpy, […], published 1830–1831, →OCLC:

     a lame endeavour

   • c. 1603–1604 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Othello, the Moore of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene i]:

     O, most lame and impotent conclusion! […]

   • 1801, Isaac Watts, The improvement of the mind, or A supplement to the art of logic:

     It is the remark of an ingenious writer, should a barbarous Indian, who had never seen a palace or a ship, view their separate and disjointed parts, and observe the pillars, doors, windows, cornices and turrets of the one, or the prow and stern, the ribs and masts, the ropes and shrouds, the sails and tackle of the other, he would be able to form but a very lame and dark idea of either of those excellent and useful inventions.

   • 1856, J. W. Redhouse, An English and Turkish Dictionary‎^[1], page xx:

     The ی consonant is our English y […] It is really a sad mistake for us, who possess this useful consonant, to adopt the lame expedient to which other languages are forced to have recourse, namely, the use of the vowel i, with or without the diaresis over it.

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.

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): weak, unbelievable
• (slang, failing to be cool, funny, interesting, or relevant): boring, pathetic, 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

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

 

Translations

unable to walk properly because of a problem with one's feet or legs

• Abkhaz: а́цыркь (ácərkʲʼ), а́цыркьзаара (ácərkʲʼzaara), ацыркьыԥа (acərkʲʼəpa), аҭуԥа́л (atupál), акәылԥаа́ (akʷʼəlpaá)
• Aghwan: 𐕄𐔰𐔾𐔰 (ḳala)
• Albanian: çalë (sq) f
• Arabic: أَعْرَج‎ (ʔaʕraj), أَكْسَح‎ (ʔaksaḥ), أَشَلّ‎ (ʔašall)

  Egyptian Arabic: أعرج‎ (aʕrag)

  Hijazi Arabic: أعرج‎ (ʔaʕraj)

• Aragonese: coixo
• Armenian: կաղ (hy) (kał)
• Aromanian: shcljop
• Bashkir: аҡһаҡ (aqhaq), сатан (satan)
• Belarusian: кульга́вы (kulʹhávy)
• Bulgarian: куц (bg) (kuc)
• Catalan: coix (ca), ranc (ca)
• Chinese:

  Literary Chinese: 蹇 (jiān)

  Mandarin: 瘸腿 (zh) (quétuǐ), 跛 (zh) (bǒ), 跛足 (zh) (bǒzú), 瘸 (zh) (qué)

• Czech: chromý (cs) m
• Dalmatian: zuap
• Danish: lam (da)
• Dutch: lam (nl), verlamd (nl), kreupel (nl), mank (nl)
• Esperanto: lama (eo), kripla (eo)
• Finnish: rampa (fi)
• French: boiteux (fr) m, boiteuse (fr) f
• Friulian: çuet
• Galician: coxo (gl), rengo
• Georgian: კოჭლი (ḳoč̣li)

  Old Georgian: მკელობელი (mḳelobeli)

• German: lahm (de)
• Greek: χωλός (el) m (cholós), κουτσός (el) m (koutsós)

  Ancient: χωλός (khōlós), σκιμβός (skimbós)

• Hebrew: צוֹלֵעַ‎ (he) m (tzoléa')
• Hindi: लंग (hi) (laṅg), अपंग (hi) (apaṅg), पंगु (hi) (paṅgu)
• Hungarian: sánta (hu)
• Icelandic: lamaður (is)
• Ingrian: rampa
• Interlingua: claude
• Irish: bacach (ga)
• Italian: zoppo (it)
• Japanese: 足の不自由な (あしのふじゆうな, ashi-no fujiyū-na), 足の悪い (あしのわるい, ashi-no warui)
• Latin: claudus
• Lithuanian: luošas m, šlubas m
• Luxembourgish: schlamm
• Macedonian: куц (kuc)
• Manchu: ᡩᠣᡥᠣᠯᠣᠨ (doholon)
• Maori: tahakopa, hauā, waehauā, tūparaka
• Mongolian: доголон (mn) (dogolon)
• Neapolitan: sciancato
• Occitan: garrèl (oc), ranc (oc)
• Old English: lama
• Ossetian: къуылых (k’°ylyx)
• Persian: لنگ‎ (fa) (lang)
• Plautdietsch: lom
• Polish: kulawy (pl) m, kulejący m, chromy (pl) m (obsolete)
• Pontic Greek: κοτσός (kotsós), ξεροπόδαρος (xeropódaros)
• Portuguese: manco (pt), perneta (pt), coxo (pt) (Brasil), capenga (pt) (Brasil)
• Quechua: hank'a, sucu, magro, wist'u
• Romanian: șchiop (ro) m, olog (ro) m
• Romansch: zop
• Russian: хромо́й (ru) (xromój), хрома́ющий (ru) (xromájuščij)
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: хром

  Roman: hrom (sh)

• Slovak: chromý (sk)
• Spanish: cojo (es), rengo (es) (Argentina, Uruguay)
• Swedish: lam (sv)
• Tausug: pilay
• Telugu: కుంటి (te) (kuṇṭi)
• Turkish: topal (tr)
• Udi: кӏала (ḳala)
• Ukrainian: кульга́вий (kulʹhávyj)
• Venetian: cionpo, soto (vec), zhot, çoto
• West Frisian: mank

moving with difficulty

• Arabic: أَعْرَج‎ m (ʔaʕraj)
• Dutch: kreupel (nl), mankend (nl)
• Finnish: heikko (fi), rampa (fi)
• Greek: χωλός (el) m (cholós), κουτσός (el) m (koutsós)
• Hungarian: nyomorék (hu), béna (hu)
• Portuguese: manco (pt)
• Romanian: handicapat (ro) m, schiopatand
• Russian: искале́ченный (ru) (iskaléčennyj), уве́чный (ru) (uvéčnyj)

by extension, hobbling

• Bulgarian: куц (bg) (kuc)
• Dutch: wankel (nl), mankend (nl)
• Finnish: ontuva (fi), heikko (fi)
• Hungarian: sántikáló
• Macedonian: куц (kuc)
• Maori: totitoti
• Polish: kuśtykający m
• Portuguese: capenga (pt)
• Russian: хрома́ющий (ru) (xromájuščij)

slang: unconvincing

• Bulgarian: неубедителен (bg) (neubeditelen)
• Czech: chabý m
• Dutch: flauw (nl)
• Finnish: heikko (fi), huono (fi), tyhmä (fi), ontuva (fi)
• French: boîteux (fr), pitoyable (fr), nul (fr) m, bancal (fr) m, bateau (fr)
• Greek: αστήρικτος (el) m (astíriktos), αστείος (el) m (asteíos)
• Hungarian: átlátszó (hu)
• Macedonian: неу́бедлив (neúbedliv)
• Polish: słaby (pl), kiepski (pl) m
• Portuguese: fraco (pt), capenga (pt)
• Romanian: jalnic (ro) m, slab (ro) m, lipsit de gust m
• Russian: сла́бый (ru) (slábyj), неубеди́тельный (ru) (neubedítelʹnyj)
• Spanish: cojo (es)

slang: failing to be cool, funny, interesting or relevant

• Arabic:

  Hijazi Arabic: سخيف‎ (saḵīf), بايخ‎ (bāyiḵ)

• Bulgarian: скучен (bg) (skučen), безинтересен (bg) (bezinteresen)
• Catalan: sonso (ca)
• Danish: lamt
• Dutch: flauw (nl)
• Esperanto: malmojosa
• Estonian: nõme
• Finnish: typerä (fi), tyhmä (fi), ontuva (fi), laimea (fi)
• French: nul (fr), (slang, France) naze (fr) m or f, (Quebec, informal) poche (fr), ringard (fr) m
• Georgian: ბანძი (banʒi)
• German: ätzend (de), öde (de)
• Hebrew: צוֹלֵעַ‎ (he) m (tzoléa')
• Hungarian: béna (hu)
• Indonesian: cupu (id)
• Italian: patetico (it), stupido (it)
• Japanese: ださい (dasai), 寒い (ja) (samui)
• Macedonian: до́саден (dósaden), здо́девен (zdódeven), неинте́ресен (neintéresen)
• Polish: kiepski (pl) m
• Portuguese: palha (pt) (Brazil), sem graça, chato (pt)
• Romanian: anost (ro) m, plictisitor (ro) m, sters m
• Russian: беспонто́вый (ru) m (bespontóvyj), отсто́йный (ru) m (otstójnyj)
• Spanish: (Mexico) chafa (es), soso (es)
• Swedish: lam (sv)
• Turkish: geyik (tr)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• Albanian: ^{(please verify)} çalë (sq)
• Catalan: ^{(please verify)} coix (ca)
• Esperanto: ^{(please verify)} paralizata
• French: ^{(please verify)} boiteux (fr), ^{(please verify)} nul (fr), ^{(please verify)} minable (fr)
• German: (2) ^{(please verify)} lahm (de)
• Hindi: ^{(please verify)} अपंग (hi) (apaṅg)
• Italian: ^{(please verify)} storpio (it)
• Marathi: ^{(please verify)} अपंग (mr) (apaṅga)
• Romanian: ^{(please verify)} șchiop (ro), ^{(please verify)} olog (ro)
• Sanskrit: ^{(please verify)} अपङगः (apaṅagaḥ), ^{(please verify)} पङगु (paṅagu)
• Scottish Gaelic: ^{(please verify)} bacach, ^{(please verify)} crùbach, ^{(please verify)} cuagach
• Serbo-Croatian: ^{(please verify)} hrom (sh)

Verb

lame (third-person singular simple present lames, present participle laming, simple past and past participle lamed)

1. (transitive) To cause (a person or animal) to become lame.
   • 1877, Anna Sewell, Black Beauty: […], London: Jarrold and Sons, […], →OCLC:

     And if you don't want to lame your horse you must look sharp and get them [stones stuck in hooves] out quickly.

   • 1913, D[avid] H[erbert] Lawrence, chapter 6, in Sons and Lovers, London: Duckworth & Co. […], →OCLC:

     Now her soul felt lamed in itself. It was her hope that was struck.

Translations

to cause a person or animal to become lame

• Bulgarian: осакатявам (bg) (osakatjavam)
• Czech: осhromit pf
• Finnish: lamauttaa (fi) (temporarily); rampauttaa (fi) (indefinitely)
• Galician: manquexar
• Italian: azzoppare (it)
• Macedonian: оса́кати (osákati)
• Polish: okulawić
• Portuguese: deixar manco
• Russian: калечить (ru) (kalečitʹ), увечить (ru) (uvečitʹ)

Noun

lame (plural lames)

1. (prison slang) A stupid or undesirable person.
   • 2011, Lil' Kim, Black Friday (song)

     You lames tryna clone my style and run wit it.

Etymology 2

From Middle French lame, from Latin lamina.

Noun

lame (plural lames)

1. A lamina; a thin layer or plate of material, as in certain kinds of armor.
   • 2013, Paul F Walker, History of Armour 1100-1700, Crowood, →ISBN:

     This rim involved a raised rolled edge on the rerebrace that was inserted into a raised lip on the lower lame of the pauldron. This lip allows the arm to rotate without the need for leather straps and can be clearly seen carved on to the effigy […]

   • 2015, Anne Curry; Malcolm Mercer, The Battle of Agincourt, Yale University Press, →ISBN, page 120:

     These pauldrons are generally asymmetrical with the left pauldron wider than the right, which is cut away for the passage of the lance. It would be attached to the shoulder by points through a restored leather tab on the top lame at the apex […]

2. (in the plural) A set of joined overlapping metal plates.
3. Kitchen tool for scoring bread dough before baking.

Related terms

• lamé
• lamella, lamellar

Translations

tool for scoring bread

• Spanish: cuchilla de panadero

Anagrams

• -meal, Elam, Elma, Leam, Lema, Malé, alme, amel, leam, lema, male, meal, mela, mela-

Esperanto

Adverb

lame

1. lamely

Estonian

Etymology

From lamama +‎ -e.

Adjective

lame (genitive lameda, partitive lamedat, comparative lamedam, superlative kõige lamedam)

1. flat

Declension

Inflection of lame (ÕS type 2/õpik, no gradation)

	singular	plural
nominative	lame	lamedad
accusative	lameda	lamedad
genitive	lameda	lamedate
partitive	lamedat	lamedaid
illative	lamedasse	lamedatesse lamedaisse
inessive	lamedas	lamedates lamedais
elative	lamedast	lamedatest lamedaist
allative	lamedale	lamedatele lamedaile
adessive	lamedal	lamedatel lamedail
ablative	lamedalt	lamedatelt lamedailt
translative	lamedaks	lamedateks lamedaiks
terminative	lamedani	lamedateni
essive	lamedana	lamedatena
abessive	lamedata	lamedateta
comitative	lamedaga	lamedatega

French

Etymology

Inherited from Latin lāmina, through the accusative lāminam. Doublet of lamine, a borrowing.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /lam/

• Audio (Canada, Montréal)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -am
• Homophone: lames

Noun

lame f (plural lames)

1. lamina
2. blade
3. wave

Related terms

• lamé m
• lamer
• lamellaire
• lamelle
• laminer
• lamineur m

Descendants

• → Catalan: llama
• → Italian: lama
• → Persian: لام‎ (lâm, “microscope slide”)

Further reading

• “lame”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Anagrams

• mâle, mêla

Friulian

Etymology

Ultimately from Latin lamina. Compare Romansch loma, lama, French lame, Italian and Venetian lama.

Noun

lame f (plural lamis)

1. blade

German

Etymology

From the English adjective lame.

Adjective

lame (strong nominative masculine singular lamer, not comparable)

1. (slang) boring; unimpressive
2. (slang) unskilled; useless

   Ich wollte nicht sagen, dass das, was die machen, total lame ist.

   I didn’t want to say that what they are doing is totally lame.

Declension

Positive forms of lame (uncomparable)

number & gender		singular			plural
		masculine	feminine	neuter
predicative		er ist lame	sie ist lame	es ist lame	sie sind lame
strong declension (without article)	nominative	lamer	lame	lames	lame
	genitive	lamen	lamer	lamen	lamer
	dative	lamem	lamer	lamem	lamen
	accusative	lamen	lame	lames	lame
weak declension (with definite article)	nominative	der lame	die lame	das lame	die lamen
	genitive	des lamen	der lamen	des lamen	der lamen
	dative	dem lamen	der lamen	dem lamen	den lamen
	accusative	den lamen	die lame	das lame	die lamen
mixed declension (with indefinite article)	nominative	ein lamer	eine lame	ein lames	(keine) lamen
	genitive	eines lamen	einer lamen	eines lamen	(keiner) lamen
	dative	einem lamen	einer lamen	einem lamen	(keinen) lamen
	accusative	einen lamen	eine lame	ein lames	(keine) lamen

Italian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈla.me/
• Rhymes: -ame
• Hyphenation: là‧me

Noun

lame f

1. plural of lama

Anagrams

• alme, male, mela

Mauritian Creole

Etymology

From French main.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [lame]

Noun

lame

1. hand

Middle English

Verb

lame

1. To shine.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Piers Plowman to this entry?)

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology 1

Adjective

lame

1. (non-standard since 2012) definite singular of lam
2. (non-standard since 2012) plural of lam

Etymology 2

Noun

lame m (definite singular lameen, indefinite plural lamear, definite plural lameane)

1. alternative spelling of lamé

Old French

Noun

lame f (oblique plural lames, nominative singular lame, nominative plural lames)

1. blade (of a weapon)

Romanian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈlame]

Noun

lame f

1. inflection of lamă:
   1. indefinite plural
   2. indefinite genitive/dative singular

Spanish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈlame/ [ˈla.me]
• Rhymes: -ame
• Syllabification: la‧me

Verb

lame

1. inflection of lamer:
   1. third-person singular present indicative
   2. second-person singular imperative

Swedish

Adjective

lame

1. absolute definite natural masculine singular of lam.