lost soul
Americannoun
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a person who seems to lack direction or a sense of belonging in life.
He was described as a "lost soul" who was estranged from his family and fell into crime.
The film focuses on four lost souls: a disgraced TV anchor, a rebellious teen, an isolated single mom, and a self-absorbed music nerd.
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a person on the way to hell or perdition.
Their preaching focused on bringing lost souls to repentance through God's love.
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the damned soul or restless spirit of a dead person.
Ghosts are spirits who cannot reincarnate again, and are miserable lost souls.
Etymology
Origin of lost soul
First recorded in 1640–50
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.
He strikes up an unlikely bond with Israeli passenger Amir, a lost soul in his early 20s played by Ido Tako, which leads Hassan to reflect on roads not taken in his own life.
From Barron's • Feb. 21, 2026
“They look like something out of a Cervantes novel…they have this lost soul thing.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 28, 2025
He was described in court as a "lost soul" and an "eccentric fantasist" who believed he could manage Arsenal football club or even England.
From BBC • Nov. 7, 2025
Aliji was a lost soul with few friends and serious mental health issues.
From Salon • Jan. 6, 2025
Miguel’s disappointment and rage at Alba’s being the granddaughter of Senator Trueba vanished the second time he saw her wandering like a lost soul down the corridors near the cafeteria where they had met.
From "The House of the Spirits: A Novel" by Isabel Allende
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.
