at a loss

Idioms  

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

2. 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]

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]

---

Example Sentences

Tunde Olawoye is not alone in struggling, with pharmacists around Wales saying their costs have "gone through the roof", and they are now selling items such as aspirin at a loss.

From BBC

Traders are at a loss to find buyers for all these idle barrels, especially given the ample supply of oil in global markets.

From The Wall Street Journal

"They told me that their business had been running at a loss for the last five or six years and I asked them, 'so how can I help you?',"

From BBC

“I have never in my life been at a loss for words.”

From Literature

In July, Intel took a nearly $800 million impairment charge, in part due to selling off older manufacturing machinery at a loss, which the company believed it no longer needed.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

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