lost soul
Americannoun
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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.
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a person on the way to hell or perdition.
Their preaching focused on bringing lost souls to repentance through God's love.
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the damned soul or restless spirit of a dead person.
Ghosts are spirits who cannot reincarnate again, and are miserable lost souls.
Etymology
Origin of lost soul
First recorded in 1640–50
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
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
You don’t want to end up like this lost soul, lugging his giant gambles through the hellscape of his own mind:
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 27, 2026
The implication is clear: Paul is a lost soul.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 12, 2025
Aliji was a lost soul with few friends and serious mental health issues.
From Salon ● Jan. 6, 2025
Some poor lost soul had arrived on these terrible shores before me.
From "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
