lose
Americanverb (used with object)
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loses,
present (3rd person singular)
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lost,
past participle, past
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losing
present participle
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to come to be without (something in one's possession or care), through accident, theft, etc., so that there is little or no prospect of recovery.
I'm sure I've merely misplaced my hat, not lost it.
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to fail inadvertently to retain (something) in such a way that it cannot be immediately recovered.
I just lost a dime under this sofa.
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to suffer the deprivation of.
to lose one's job; to lose one's life.
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to be bereaved of by death.
to lose a sister.
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to fail to keep, preserve, or maintain.
to lose one's balance; to lose one's figure.
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(of a clock or watch) to run slower by.
The watch loses three minutes a day.
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to give up; forfeit the possession of.
to lose a fortune at the gaming table.
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to get rid of.
to lose one's fear of the dark; to lose weight; She needs to lose those bangs!
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to bring to destruction or ruin (usually used passively).
Ship and crew were lost.
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to condemn to hell; damn.
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to have slip from sight, hearing, attention, etc..
to lose him in the crowd.
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to stray from or become ignorant of (one's way, directions, etc.).
to lose one's bearings.
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to leave far behind in a pursuit, race, etc.; outstrip.
She managed to lose the other runners on the final lap of the race.
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to use to no purpose; waste.
to lose time in waiting.
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to fail to get or take advantage of; miss.
to lose an opportunity.
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to fail to win (a prize, stake, etc.).
to lose a bet.
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to be defeated in (a game, lawsuit, battle, etc.).
He has lost very few cases in his career as a lawyer.
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to cause the loss of.
The delay lost the battle for them.
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to let (oneself) go astray, miss the way, etc..
We lost ourselves in the woods.
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to allow (oneself) to become absorbed or engrossed in something and oblivious to all else.
I had lost myself in thought.
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(of a physician or other medical personnel) to fail to preserve the life of (a patient).
The doctor came out of the operating room and sadly said, “So sorry. We lost him.”
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(of a woman) to fail to be delivered of (a live baby) because of miscarriage, complications in childbirth, etc.
verb (used without object)
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loses,
present (3rd person singular)
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lost,
past participle, past
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losing
present participle
-
to suffer loss.
to lose on a contract.
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to suffer defeat or fail to win, as in a contest, race, or game.
We played well, but we lost.
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to depreciate in effectiveness or in some other essential quality.
a classic that loses in translation.
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(of a clock, watch, etc.) to run slow.
verb phrase
idioms
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lose face. face.
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lose it, to suddenly lose control of one's emotions.
When he said he loved me, I nearly lost it.
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lose something in translation. see lose in translation.
verb
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to part with or come to be without, as through theft, accident, negligence, etc
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to fail to keep or maintain
to lose one's balance
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to suffer the loss or deprivation of
to lose a parent
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to cease to have or possess
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to fail to get or make use of
to lose a chance
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(also intr) to fail to gain or win (a contest, game, etc)
to lose the match
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to fail to see, hear, perceive, or understand
I lost the gist of his speech
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to waste
to lose money gambling
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to wander from so as to be unable to find
to lose one's way
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to cause the loss of
his delay lost him the battle
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to allow to go astray or out of sight
we lost him in the crowd
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(usually passive) to absorb or engross
he was lost in contemplation
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(usually passive) to cause the death or destruction of
two men were lost in the attack
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to outdistance or elude
he soon lost his pursuers
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(intr) to decrease or depreciate in value or effectiveness
poetry always loses in translation
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(also intr) (of a timepiece) to run slow (by a specified amount)
the clock loses ten minutes every day
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(of a physician) to fail to sustain the life of (a patient)
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(of a woman) to fail to give birth to (a viable baby), esp as the result of a miscarriage
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slang motor racing to lose control of (the car), as on a bend
he lost it going into Woodcote
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slang to lose control of oneself or one's temper
Usage
What's the difference between lose and loose? Lose is a verb most commonly meaning to fail to win or to misplace something, as in I hate to lose in chess or Don’t lose your key. Loose is most commonly used as an adjective meaning not tight or free or released from fastening, attachment, or restraint, as in a loose screw or Let him loose! Lose ends with a z sound and rhymes with choose. Loose ends with an s sound and rhymes with moose. One reason that the two words are sometimes confused is that loose can also be used as a verb, most commonly meaning to free something from a restraint, as in loose the cannons! Perhaps the most common misuse of these words is when loose is used when lose should be. To remember the difference, remember this sentence: You could lose loose screws. (First comes the verb lose, with one o, followed by the adjective loose, with two o’s). Here’s an example of lose and loose used correctly in a sentence. Example: If you carry around loose cash, you could lose it—put it in your wallet. Want to learn more? Read the full breakdown of the difference between lose and loose.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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losesimple
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losessimple
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have lostperfect
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has lostperfect
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am losingprogressive
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are losingprogressive
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is losingprogressive
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have been losingperfect progressive
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has been losingperfect progressive
Past
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lostsimple
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had lostperfect
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was losingprogressive
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were losingprogressive
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had been losingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of lose
First recorded in before 900; Middle English losen, Old English -lēosan; replacing Middle English lesen, itself also reflecting Old English -lēosan; cognate with German verlieren, Gothic fraliusan “to lose”; see loss
Explanation
The verb to lose means something has gone missing. Maybe it's your car keys. Maybe it's points in a game. Maybe it's the love of your life. Sorry about that. You can physically lose something by misplacing it, or you can lose your pride in a competition. You can lose a game, you can lose your library book, you can lose money, you can lose your business, you can lose sight of your child, you can even lose your mind — basically, you can lose just about anything. Losing something is usually not a good thing, unless it's that annoying boyfriend or weight.
Vocabulary lists containing lose
Commonly Confused Words, List 1
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Commonly Confused Words, List 4
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Commonly Confused Words, List 6
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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.
See Examples For:
He would lose a contest to Shaquille O’Neal.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 23, 2026
It's not mine to lose, it's mine to gain.
From BBC ● Aug. 22, 2026
Anne Boleyn was the second of Henry VIII’s six wives and the first to lose her head.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 22, 2026
The basic principle of weight loss is straightforward: if you consume fewer calories than you burn, you’ll lose weight.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 22, 2026
“I didn’t realize one failed date would make me lose my Sandy June’s privileges.”
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
As that material loses energy, it releases light over periods ranging from days to months.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 23, 2026
The latest trial could cost the tech company 200 times as much money if it loses, according to a recent filing.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026
And how does the corona continue to remain so hot despite frequent eruptions during which it loses huge amounts of energy?
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026
His long blond hair swings across his face as Hawkins loses himself in the moment, tapping into a brisk echo of ’80s rock.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026
I ask because no way am I paying twice if she loses that check.
From "Wayward Creatures" by Dayna Lorentz
Obese mice treated with the compound lost fat while showing no significant reduction in lean muscle mass.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 23, 2026
A lost or stolen phone, or one that hasn’t been fully paid off, can be blocked from accessing cellular networks.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 23, 2026
In some ways, the situation is reminiscent of an argument that raged in the 1950s over “who lost China.”
From Salon ● Aug. 23, 2026
It requested the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals review a Tennessee judge’s decision to dismiss Abrego Garcia’s case, a prosecution that seemed completely lost.
From Slate ● Aug. 23, 2026
“Do you mind terribly if we don’t stay? I seem to have lost my appetite and I don’t think I can sit still to watch you two eat a whole meal.”
From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu
He ran for Congress there in 2024, losing in the Republican primary.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 23, 2026
But the boyhood trauma of losing his mother Diana, Princess of Wales, has dogged much of his life.
From Barron's ● Aug. 23, 2026
She has played three doubles matches since her return and made her singles comeback at Wimbledon, losing in three sets to Maya Joint.
From BBC ● Aug. 22, 2026
Fans who have had problems buying tickets on StubHub say the hardest part isn’t losing the seats.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 22, 2026
She snatched the phone out of his hand and hung it up, losing patience.
From "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny
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.
