lost soul

American  

[lawst sohl, lost] / ˈlɔst ˈsoʊl, ˈlɒst /

noun

1. 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.

2. a person on the way to hell or perdition.

   Their preaching focused on bringing lost souls to repentance through God's love.

3. the damned soul or restless spirit of a dead person.

   Ghosts are spirits who cannot reincarnate again, and are miserable lost souls.

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Etymology

Origin of lost soul

First recorded in 1640–50

Example Sentences

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

The real magic, however, is the giddiness sparkling around Terence Mann who starts as a lost soul and ends the film believing in magic again, simply by touching the edge of a cornfield.

From Salon • Sep. 12, 2024

This lost soul was in fact a Capuchin monkey.

From BBC • Jan. 21, 2024

Tve been working like a machine, and feeling like a lost soul.

From "The Awakening" by Kate Chopin