lose

verb

lost ˈlȯst How to pronounce lose (audio) ; losing ˈlü-ziŋ How to pronounce lose (audio) ; loses

transitive verb

1
a
: to bring to destruction
used chiefly in passive construction
the ship was lost on the reef
b
: damn
… if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul?Matthew 16:26 (King James Version)
2
: to miss from one's possession or from a customary or supposed place
lost his glove
3
: to suffer deprivation of : part with especially in an unforeseen or accidental manner
lost his leg in an auto accident
4
a
: to suffer loss through the death or removal of or final separation from (a person)
lost a son in the war
b
: to fail to keep control of or allegiance (see allegiance sense 2) of
lose votes
lost his temper
5
a
: to fail to use : let slip by : waste
no time to lose
b(1)
: to fail to win, gain, or obtain
lose a prize
lose a contest
(2)
: to undergo defeat in
lost every battle
c
: to fail to catch with the senses or the mind
lost what she said
6
: to cause the loss of
7
: to fail to keep, sustain, or maintain
lost my balance
8
a
: to cause to miss one's way or bearings
lost himself in the maze of streets
b
: to make (oneself) withdrawn from immediate reality
lost herself in daydreaming
9
a
: to wander or go astray from
lost his way
b
: to draw away from : outstrip
lost his pursuers
10
: to fail to keep in sight or in mind
lost the thief in the crowded street
11
: to free oneself from : get rid of
dieting to lose weight
12
slang : regurgitate, vomit
often used in such phrases as lose one's lunch

intransitive verb

1
: to undergo deprivation of something of value
investors lost heavily
2
: to undergo defeat
lose with good grace
3
of a timepiece : to run slow
losable adjective
losableness noun
Phrases
lose ground
: to suffer loss or disadvantage : fail to advance or improve
lose it
1
: to fail to maintain a hold on reality
also : to become mentally unsound
2
: to become overwhelmed with strong emotion : to lose one's composure
so angry I almost lost it
lose one's heart
: to fall in love

Examples of lose in a Sentence

She's always losing her gloves. Hold my hand: I don't want to lose you. We lost the game by a score of 4–2. He lost his title in the rematch. The team lost three games but won the next four. The team lost in the finals. an athlete known for losing with grace He hates to lose when money is involved. How could she play that well and still lose? The country lost its independence 50 years ago.
Recent Examples on the Web Tiffany Ervin had an emotional breakdown at camp, regretting her outburst after their tribe lost and fearing others' perception of her. Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY, 7 Mar. 2024 The Tigers lost several reserve linebackers to the transfer portal and brought in Miami’s Corey Flagg. Calum McAndrew, Kansas City Star, 7 Mar. 2024 Woman fosters obese dog; throngs of fans watch canine lose weight Charlie and Cassandra had been living in the pond in Devizes for nearly 2½ years, along with geese and ducks. Kyle Melnick, Washington Post, 7 Mar. 2024 Monterey, as with Chatsworth, came back to reach the state final after losing in its section tournament. Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2024 Some day soon or further off, synthetic narrators and actors might be commonplace and accepted without so much as a blink, but for now there is room for debate: What is lost and what is gained when a machine does the work of a human performer? Roxana Popescu, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Mar. 2024 The 2023 national championship game, in which Iowa lost to LSU, had an average of 9.9 million viewers, the most for any women’s game in history. Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 7 Mar. 2024 The Federal Trade Commission, which investigates consumer fraud, reported that Americans lost more than two million dollars to impostor scams of various kinds in 2022. Charles Bethea, The New Yorker, 7 Mar. 2024 Thompson went on to lose to Baldwin by nearly 6 points. Jessie Opoien, Journal Sentinel, 7 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lose.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English losian to perish, lose, from los destruction; akin to Old English lēosan to lose; akin to Old Norse losa to loosen, Latin luere to atone for, Greek lyein to loosen, dissolve, destroy

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of lose was before the 12th century

Cite this Entry

“Lose.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lose. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

lose

verb
lost ˈlȯst How to pronounce lose (audio) ; losing ˈlü-ziŋ How to pronounce lose (audio)
1
: ruin entry 2 sense 1, destroy
the ship was lost on the reef
2
: to be unable to find or have at hand : mislay
lose a billfold
3
: to become deprived of especially accidentally or by death
lose his eyesight
lost her son by drowning
4
a
: to fail to use to advantage : waste
no time to lose
b
: to fail to win, gain, or obtain
lose a contest
c
: to fail to catch with the senses or the mind
lost part of what was said
5
: to cause the loss of
one careless statement lost her the election
6
: to fail to keep, sustain, or maintain
lost his balance
7
a
: to miss or cause to miss one's way or bearings
lost herself in the woods
b
: to make oneself completely absorbed by one specific thing
lost himself in the music
8
: to leave behind by going faster or farther
lost their pursuers
9
: to free oneself from : get rid of
dieting to lose some weight
loser noun

Medical Definition

lose

transitive verb
lost ˈlȯst How to pronounce lose (audio) ; losing
1
: to become deprived of or lacking in
lose consciousness
lost her sense of smell
also : to part with in an unforeseen or accidental manner
lose a leg in an auto crash
2
a
: to suffer deprivation through the death or removal of or final separation from (a person)
lost a son in the war
b
: to fail to keep (a patient) from dying
have lost many fewer pneumonia cases since penicillin came into use
3
: to fail to keep, sustain, or maintain
lose one's balance
4
: to free oneself from : get rid of
dieting to lose weight

More from Merriam-Webster on lose

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