lost

1 of 2

past tense and past participle of lose

lost

2 of 2

adjective

1
: not made use of, won, or claimed
a lost opportunity
2
a
: no longer possessed
a lost reputation
b
: no longer known
a lost tunnel
3
: ruined or destroyed physically or morally : desperate
a lost soul
4
a
: taken away or beyond reach or attainment : denied
regions lost to the faith
b
: insensible, hardened
lost to shame
5
a
: unable to find the way
b
: no longer visible
lost in the crowd
c
: lacking assurance or self-confidence : helpless
lost without his glasses
6
: rapt, absorbed
lost in reverie
7
: not appreciated or understood : wasted
Their jokes were lost on me.
8
: obscured or overlooked during a process or activity
lost in translation
9
: hopelessly unattainable : futile
a lost cause
lostness noun

Examples of lost in a Sentence

Adjective He was looking for his lost keys. Many have tried to find the ruins of the lost city. We took a wrong turn and got lost. Hold my hand. I don't want you to get lost. He has been trying to recapture his lost youth. The original music is lost to us forever.
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Film composition isn’t a lost art, but thematic scoring is becoming more and more a lost art. Chris Willman, Variety, 6 Mar. 2024 The couple filed a claim to the town asking for $5,000 to help pay for medical bills and recoup from lost salary months out of work. Maritza Dominguez, The Arizona Republic, 6 Mar. 2024 Last year, a golden retriever in Ireland walked 40 miles over 26 days to find his owner, and a dog in Texas rang the doorbell at her former shelter after she was adopted and became lost. Cathy Free, Washington Post, 5 Mar. 2024 Related article Firefighters battling ‘monster’ Texas wildfire contend with strong winds and heat as residents grapple with lost homes Since igniting last Monday, the ravenous Smokehouse Creek Fire has incinerated more than 1 million acres of the Texas Panhandle and is still only 15% contained. Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN, 4 Mar. 2024 The Bruins had never previously fallen to Washington under Cronin, making this result feel like more deflating than just another defeat in a lost season. Ben Bolch, Los Angeles Times, 1 Mar. 2024 Not much more evidence was needed, not with the Charlotte Hornets already holding a laundry list of examples in a lost season that can’t end soon enough. Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 1 Mar. 2024 Will the trees be replaced? Citizens plans to replace the lost trees, the water utility said. Sarah Bowman, The Indianapolis Star, 22 Feb. 2024 The heightened vision of her in the supermarket, not quite lost but incongruously fancied up, hints at some of the more surreal moments ahead from Lin and cinematographer Zhang Jiahao. Sheri Linden, The Hollywood Reporter, 22 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lost.' 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

Adjective

past participle of lose

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Time Traveler
The first known use of lost was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near lost

Cite this Entry

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

Kids Definition

lost

adjective
1
: not used, won, or claimed
lost opportunities
2
: no longer possessed or known
a long lost uncle
3
: ruined or destroyed physically or morally
4
: unable to find the way
a lost puppy
5
: having the mind absorbed and not aware of surroundings
lost in daydreams
6
: futile
a lost cause

Legal Definition

lost

adjective
1
: not made use of, won, or claimed
lost opportunity costs
2
: unintentionally gone out of or missing from one's possession or control
3
: ruined or destroyed physically
also : in an unknown physical condition or location
a lost ship

More from Merriam-Webster on lost

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