lose
Americanverb (used with object)
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to come to be without (something in one's possession or care), through accident, theft, etc., so that there is little or no prospect of recovery.
I'm sure I've merely misplaced my hat, not lost it.
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to fail inadvertently to retain (something) in such a way that it cannot be immediately recovered.
I just lost a dime under this sofa.
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to suffer the deprivation of.
to lose one's job; to lose one's life.
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to be bereaved of by death.
to lose a sister.
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to fail to keep, preserve, or maintain.
to lose one's balance; to lose one's figure.
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(of a clock or watch) to run slower by.
The watch loses three minutes a day.
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to give up; forfeit the possession of.
to lose a fortune at the gaming table.
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to get rid of.
to lose one's fear of the dark; to lose weight; She needs to lose those bangs!
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to bring to destruction or ruin (usually used passively).
Ship and crew were lost.
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to condemn to hell; damn.
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to have slip from sight, hearing, attention, etc..
to lose him in the crowd.
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to stray from or become ignorant of (one's way, directions, etc.).
to lose one's bearings.
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to leave far behind in a pursuit, race, etc.; outstrip.
She managed to lose the other runners on the final lap of the race.
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to use to no purpose; waste.
to lose time in waiting.
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to fail to get or take advantage of; miss.
to lose an opportunity.
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to fail to win (a prize, stake, etc.).
to lose a bet.
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to be defeated in (a game, lawsuit, battle, etc.).
He has lost very few cases in his career as a lawyer.
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to cause the loss of.
The delay lost the battle for them.
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to let (oneself) go astray, miss the way, etc..
We lost ourselves in the woods.
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to allow (oneself) to become absorbed or engrossed in something and oblivious to all else.
I had lost myself in thought.
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(of a physician or other medical personnel) to fail to preserve the life of (a patient).
The doctor came out of the operating room and sadly said, “So sorry. We lost him.”
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(of a woman) to fail to be delivered of (a live baby) because of miscarriage, complications in childbirth, etc.
verb (used without object)
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to suffer loss.
to lose on a contract.
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to suffer defeat or fail to win, as in a contest, race, or game.
We played well, but we lost.
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to depreciate in effectiveness or in some other essential quality.
a classic that loses in translation.
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(of a clock, watch, etc.) to run slow.
verb phrase
idioms
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lose face. face.
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lose it, to suddenly lose control of one's emotions.
When he said he loved me, I nearly lost it.
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lose something in translation. lose in translation.
verb
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to part with or come to be without, as through theft, accident, negligence, etc
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to fail to keep or maintain
to lose one's balance
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to suffer the loss or deprivation of
to lose a parent
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to cease to have or possess
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to fail to get or make use of
to lose a chance
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(also intr) to fail to gain or win (a contest, game, etc)
to lose the match
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to fail to see, hear, perceive, or understand
I lost the gist of his speech
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to waste
to lose money gambling
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to wander from so as to be unable to find
to lose one's way
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to cause the loss of
his delay lost him the battle
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to allow to go astray or out of sight
we lost him in the crowd
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(usually passive) to absorb or engross
he was lost in contemplation
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(usually passive) to cause the death or destruction of
two men were lost in the attack
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to outdistance or elude
he soon lost his pursuers
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(intr) to decrease or depreciate in value or effectiveness
poetry always loses in translation
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(also intr) (of a timepiece) to run slow (by a specified amount)
the clock loses ten minutes every day
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(of a physician) to fail to sustain the life of (a patient)
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(of a woman) to fail to give birth to (a viable baby), esp as the result of a miscarriage
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slang motor racing to lose control of (the car), as on a bend
he lost it going into Woodcote
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slang to lose control of oneself or one's temper
Usage
What's the difference between lose and loose? Lose is a verb most commonly meaning to fail to win or to misplace something, as in I hate to lose in chess or Don’t lose your key. Loose is most commonly used as an adjective meaning not tight or free or released from fastening, attachment, or restraint, as in a loose screw or Let him loose! Lose ends with a z sound and rhymes with choose. Loose ends with an s sound and rhymes with moose.One reason that the two words are sometimes confused is that loose can also be used as a verb, most commonly meaning to free something from a restraint, as in loose the cannons! Perhaps the most common misuse of these words is when loose is used when lose should be. To remember the difference, remember this sentence: You could lose loose screws. (First comes the verb lose, with one o, followed by the adjective loose, with two o’s).Here’s an example of lose and loose used correctly in a sentence.Example: If you carry around loose cash, you could lose it—put it in your wallet.Want to learn more? Read the full breakdown of the difference between lose and loose.
Other Word Forms
- losable adjective
- losableness noun
- relose verb (used with object)
Etymology
Origin of lose
First recorded in before 900; Middle English losen, Old English -lēosan; replacing Middle English lesen, itself also reflecting Old English -lēosan; cognate with German verlieren, Gothic fraliusan “to lose”; loss
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The California Highway Patrol was preparing to take over the pursuit but lost visual contact with the fleeing vehicle, Zapata said.
From Los Angeles Times
The Italian will have his chance to complete a career Grand Slam of his own at the French Open, having lost last year's epic to Alcaraz.
From BBC
Guardiola must still be furious and frustrated at how City were so much in command at half-time with a two-goal advantage, yet somehow contrived to cast aside two points and almost lose all three.
From BBC
However, she lost that prize to Lady Gaga's Abracadabra - indicating that the star stands a fair chance of winning song and record of the year later.
From BBC
Canada, the U.K. and Spain are among the developed countries that recently lost their measles elimination status.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
