lamer

In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.

Meaning · English

A person lacking in maturity, social skills, technical competence or intelligence.

Register: dated, derogatory, slang

Where it’s used: Used American English

Examples

Phil and his counterparts in Asia and the US are deployed to infiltrate pirate groups; to study IRC; to get under the skin of the lamers, the dabblers, and the professionals; to chat, seduce, charm, and interact with the denizens of this bizarre over-underworld.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “lamer” mean?

A person lacking in maturity, social skills, technical competence or intelligence.

Is “lamer” formal or informal?

lamer is generally dated, derogatory, slang.