loser

[loo-zer]

noun

1. a person, team, nation, etc., that loses.

   The visiting team was the loser in the series.

2. Informal.

   1. a person who has been convicted of a misdemeanor or, especially, a felony.

      a two-time loser.

   2. a person who has failed at a particular activity.

      a loser at marriage.

   3. someone or something that is marked by consistently or thoroughly bad quality, performance, etc. (winner ).

      Don't bother to see that film, it's a real loser.

3. Slang.,  a misfit, especially someone who has never or seldom been successful at a job, personal relationship, etc.

loser

/ ˈluːzə /

noun

1. a person or thing that loses

2. a person or thing that seems destined to be taken advantage of, fail, etc

   a born loser

3. bridge a card that will not take a trick

Other Word Forms

• nonloser noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of loser¹

1300–50; Middle English losere destroyer; lose, -er ¹

Idioms and Phrases

see under finders, keepers.

Example Sentences

But while stocks without as much exposure to AI had, at one point, started to pick up the slack, the divergence between the market’s winners and losers has been growing again recently.

Read more on MarketWatch

But having government pick winners and losers ultimately means that companies will try to impress the politicians.

Read more on Barron's

"Mostly, we joke and laugh... we have this joke about the war: whoever dies first is the loser."

Read more on Barron's

Which means they can no longer allow their friend, the loser, to play.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

“In a nuclear war, there can be no victors—only losers.”

Read more on Literature

Related Words

• also-ran 
• underdog