lost

American  

[lawst, lost] / lɔst, lɒst /

adjective

1. no longer possessed or retained.

   lost friends.

   Synonyms:

   past, former

2. no longer to be found.

   lost articles.

3. having gone astray or missed the way; bewildered as to place, direction, etc..

   lost children.

   Synonyms:

   missing, absent

4. not used to good purpose, as opportunities, time, or labor; wasted.

   a lost advantage.

5. being something that someone has failed to win.

   a lost prize.

6. ending in or attended with defeat.

   a lost battle.

7. destroyed or ruined.

   lost ships.

8. preoccupied; rapt.

   He seems lost in thought.

9. distracted; distraught; desperate; hopeless.

   the lost look of a man trapped and afraid.

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verb (used with or without object)

1. simple past tense and past participle of lose.

idioms

1. get lost,

   1. to absent oneself.

      I think I'll get lost before an argument starts.

   2. to stop being a nuisance.

      If they call again, tell them to get lost.

2. lost to,

   1. no longer belonging to.

   2. no longer possible or open to.

      The opportunity was lost to him.

   3. insensible to.

      lost to all sense of duty.

lost British  

/ lɒst /

adjective

1. unable to be found or recovered

2. unable to find one's way or ascertain one's whereabouts

3. confused, bewildered, or helpless

   he is lost in discussions of theory

4. (sometimes foll by on) not utilized, noticed, or taken advantage of (by)

   rational arguments are lost on her

5. no longer possessed or existing because of defeat, misfortune, or the passage of time

   a lost art

6. destroyed physically

   the lost platoon

7. (foll by to) no longer available or open (to)

8. (foll by to) insensible or impervious (to a sense of shame, justice, etc)

9. (foll by in) engrossed (in)

   he was lost in his book

10. morally fallen

    a lost woman

11. damned

    a lost soul

12. informal (usually imperative) go away and stay away

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lost More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing lost

• get lost
• he who hesitates is lost
• lose
• make up for lost time
• no love lost
• you've lost me

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Other Word Forms

• unlost adjective

Etymology

Origin of lost

First recorded in 1530–40, for the adjective

Explanation

The adjective lost describes anything that can't be found, like your favorite pair of sunglasses that you left on a table at the library and never saw again. Beloved hand-knit scarves can be lost, and so can wandering pet goats. A person can get lost in the unfamiliar, winding streets of a strange city. You can also describe someone as lost if they're confused or desperately in need of some kind of help. The origins of the word lost come from the Proto-Indo-European leu, "to loosen, untie, or separate". The meaning "to be defeated," like when you've lost a game or lost a battle, came later, around 1530.

Example Sentences

Within hours of the accusations surfacing on Friday, he lost the backing of prominent supporters for his gubernatorial run and many of his staff members resigned.

From BBC • Apr. 13, 2026

At age 37, however, he had also lost a step or two.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 13, 2026

A blockade could cost Iran $276 million daily in lost exports and $159 million in imports, potentially escalating to war.

From Barron's • Apr. 13, 2026

Churchill, despite his wartime heroism, lost the premiership in the Labour landslide of 1945.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 13, 2026

It says the people who won the battle don’t understand their victory as well as the person who lost the fight and is literally dying as he listens to his enemies celebrate.

From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison

Related Words

• absent
• adrift
• disoriented
• hidden
• invisible
• misplaced
• vanished