lousy/shabby?

Question

HiI'm not sure how to explain this so I'm going to use a couple of words to describe the word that I'm looking for:They gave us a lousy/shabby/poor/unappetizing meal.She gave me only a lousy/shabby/unappetizing banana.I need any word that would fit in these context. 'Lousy' seems like a good option but I'm not sure.

Fivejedjon · Accepted Answer

MustAskThey gave us a lousy/shabby/poor/unappetizing meal.

'lousy' is strong and very informal.
'shabby' might be approriate for the way they served the meal, but not for the meal itslf.
'poor might refer to the qauntity or the quality.
'unappetiing is clear and appropriate.

MustAskShe gave me only a lousy/shabby/unappetizing banana.

'lousy' and 'shabby' are not appropriate.
'an unappetizing banana' is fine.

Hole One a New See · Answer

In such cases like this you can use a collocation dictionary like this:
http://www.ozdic.com/collocation-dictionary/meal

Sometimes it is useful sometimes not. You have a chance that your word will appear here. By the way, it was an unlucky case. After this first step you can check the meaning at a monolingual dictionary. Oxford, Cambrdige, Longman, Macmillan dictionaries are of good quality, I guess.

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You can also check your word in a monolingual dictionary and there is a possibility it will refer to the exact word you tried. Just to mention an example:

http://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/unappetizing

You can see this part:

(of food)

I guess that it is very persuasive.

Also you can check the examples. I mention an example of this, too:
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/lousy_1?q=lousy

Here you can see:

lousy http://dictionary.cambridge.org/search/british/direct/?q=food/http://dictionary.cambridge.org/search/british/direct/?q=service

That is also very convincing.

What is more a good dictionary provides you the information whether the word is informal, formal, or both of them. You can see it at the word entry 'lousy', too.

I guess you can accelerate your learning process with practical things like these (In cases you don't get answer from teachers like fivejedjon soon. That is a possibility, too, they are people and have a life, too.)

MustAsk · Answer

Thank you! But you misunderstood what I'm looking for. I stated that used those words to describe the context and semantics that I'm looking for in a word that would best fit there. In other words, is there a good term that would describe all those words together?

Fivejedjon · Answer

MustAsk is there a good term that would describe all those words together?

You want one word that covers the meanings of lousy, shabby, poor and unappetizing?

Hole One a New See · Answer

Maybe 'meagre' (US: meager) = small in quantity and poor in quality.

Maybe fivejedjon know something that includes the meaning of 'unappetizing', too.

MustAsk · Answer

fivejedjon MustAsk is there a good term that would describe all those words together?You want one word that covers the meanings of lousy, shabby, poor and unappetizing?

Yes, or any other suggestions are welcome.

MustAsk · Answer

I thought maybe this would work?

The homeless man asked for food, but all she gave was a [...] banana.

Would 'meager' work here?

Fivejedjon · Answer

In that specific context, 'lousy' is OK. 'meager' is not.

lousy/shabby?

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