at a loss

1. Puzzled, perplexed, in a state of uncertainty, as in When his letters were returned unopened, John was at a loss as to what to do next . This usage was originally applied to hounds who had lost the scent or track of their prey. [Mid-1600s]

2. Below cost, as in The store was doing so badly that it was selling merchandise at a loss .

3. at a loss for words . Unable or uncertain as to what to say. For example, Father's tirade left us all at a loss for words . [Late 1600s]

Related Words

• baffled
• befuddled
• bewildered
• dazed
• disorganized
• distracted
• muddled
• perplexed
• perturbed
• puzzled

More About At A Loss

What does at a loss mean?

At a loss means at a sale price lower than what something cost. At a loss can also mean to not know what to do or to not know what to say.

If a person or store sells something at a loss, it means the amount they sold it for was less than what they bought it for. You will lose money if you sell something at a loss. For example, if you buy a TV for $300 and sell it for $200, you sold it at a loss of $100.

• Used in a sentence: This food expires tomorrow, so I am going to have to sell it at a loss before it’s worthless. 

If someone is at a loss, they don’t know what to do. They are so stricken by confusion or uncertainty that they can’t think of anything to do.

• Used in a sentence: When the bus left without him, Angelo was at a loss as to how he was supposed to get home. 

Similarly, if someone is at a loss for words, they can’t or are unable to think of anything to say. This may be a result of a person being so shocked or astonished that their brain can’t concentrate enough to form words.

• Used in a sentence: I was at a loss for words when my wife told me she was pregnant. 

Where does at a loss come from?

The phrase at a loss has been used since at least the mid-1600s. The sense of a sale’s deficit refers to losing money from a sale. The other senses likely refer to a figurative loss, or a lack, of words or ideas.

Did you know ... ?

What are some synonyms for at a loss?

• puzzled
• baffled
• perplexed
• speechless
• dazed
• befuddled

What are some words that share a root or word element with at a loss? 

• at 
• a 
• loss

What are some words that often get used in discussing at a loss?

• clueless
• frozen
• stuck
• shock
• surprise
• amazement

How is at a loss used in real life?

At a loss is a common phrase that means to sell something while losing money or to not know what to do or to say.

The BBC Trust says "mistakes were made" in the BBC's acquisition of Lonely Planet, which it sold at a loss of £80m earlier this year.

— BBC News Entertainment (@BBCNewsEnts) November 7, 2013

It is quite a thing to be lectured by this White House about not following the rules. I'm at a loss for words.

— Joe Lockhart (@joelockhart) September 3, 2020

I am at a loss thinking about what we have lost with Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s passing. We should mourn her. We should remember her. And we should continue her fight for justice.

— Kim Mangone (@KimMangone) September 19, 2020

Try using at a loss!

Is at a loss used correctly in the following sentence? 

The bad news shocked me and all I could do was stand there because I was at a loss about what to do.