dead loss

British  

noun

1. informal a person, thing, or situation that is completely useless or unprofitable

2. a complete loss for which no compensation is received

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dead loss Idioms  

1. A total loss, as in They've changed the currency, so these old coins are a dead loss . [Early 1700s]

2. A worthless person or thing; also, an utter waste of time. For example, With an injured knee he's a dead loss to the team , or It rained every day, so our week at the beach was a dead loss . [1920s]

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

dead loss

“He never received a dime - it was a dead loss for him and his family between his initial investment, legal fees and eventual settlement.”

From Washington Times ● Jul. 6, 2020

“Coach Tuberville was as surprised as anyone to learn Stroud had lost all the money, including Coach’s. He never received a dime; it was a dead loss for him and his family,” Mr. McDonald said.

From New York Times ● Jul. 5, 2020

Still, it's not a dead loss, suggests MacCulloch: "Blake was a mystic, and he was saying, in his lovely poetry, that God dwells everywhere - including England."

From BBC ● Jan. 13, 2016

The girl always takes the guy to see them, but I always did my best to make him feel like it wasn't a complete dead loss.

From The Guardian ● Jun. 28, 2012

But the dead loss of such ranks upon ranks of the finest young human material—of life—that is an abyss into which one can simply gaze appalled.

From The Letters of Henry James, Vol. II by Henry James

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