louse
To bother, needle, or foul somebody up.
Also called louse up, lousing.
Updated September 24, 2026
louse pronunciation
/LOWSS/
Meaning
When you louse somebody, you get under their skin on purpose. Kids louse a sibling by poking at them till they snap. Grown folks louse a plan by messing with it, or louse a neighbor by picking at him till he walks off mad. Same insect picture either way: a pest that will not leave you alone.
How folks use it
- “Quit lousing your brother and get out to the truck.”
- “He loused the whole Saturday by arguing over who gets the boat first.”
Origin and etymology
Comes from the little biting bug. American slang picked up louse and louse up in the early 1900s for spoiling a thing or giving somebody grief, like an infestation that ruins the day. Rural Southern talk kept that pest feel: if you are lousing somebody, you are the annoyance that will not quit.
Frequently asked questions
Is louse the same as calling someone a louse?
Related, but not the same job. The noun names a no-good person. The verb is what you do when you bother or foul somebody up.