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)
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
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: to make (oneself) withdrawn from immediate reality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
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
losableness
noun
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.
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Recent Examples on the Web
Watson went 22 of 40 for 235 yards with one touchdown and one interception, and lost a fumble on a play in which he was first ruled to have converted a fourth-and-1.
—Mary Kay Cabot, cleveland, 19 Sep. 2023
While the 2023 reboot changed minor details — there were three contenders; UA lost Coker’s coming out party; this time, Saban made his decision before conference play — a Week 3 contest ended the competition all the same.
—Nick Alvarez | Nalvarez@al.com, al, 19 Sep. 2023
Santa Margarita senior Leigh Chien, a Stanford commit, lost her foursome and four-ball matches Monday but rebounded to take her singles match 3 and 2 against Sweden’s Josefin Widal on Tuesday.
—Steve Galluzzo, Los Angeles Times, 19 Sep. 2023
The Rangers did not lose ground in the AL West race as Houston had its own bullpen issues in an 8-7 loss to Baltimore.
—Evan Grant, Dallas News, 19 Sep. 2023
Five years ago today, the world lost Mac Miller at 26.
—Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 7 Sep. 2023
However, within one day, JAXA lost communication and had to scrub recovery operations.
—Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 7 Sep. 2023
Bears that get conditioned to receiving food lose their natural foraging behavior and pose threats to human safety.
—Jennifer Henderson, CNN, 7 Sep. 2023
The Vikings started 4-0 that year but lost their final six games.
—Ben Thomas | Bthomas@al.com, al, 7 Sep. 2023
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Mary Kay Cabot, cleveland, 19 Sep. 2023
While the 2023 reboot changed minor details — there were three contenders; UA lost Coker’s coming out party; this time, Saban made his decision before conference play — a Week 3 contest ended the competition all the same.
—Nick Alvarez | Nalvarez@al.com, al, 19 Sep. 2023
Santa Margarita senior Leigh Chien, a Stanford commit, lost her foursome and four-ball matches Monday but rebounded to take her singles match 3 and 2 against Sweden’s Josefin Widal on Tuesday.
—Steve Galluzzo, Los Angeles Times, 19 Sep. 2023
The Rangers did not lose ground in the AL West race as Houston had its own bullpen issues in an 8-7 loss to Baltimore.
—Evan Grant, Dallas News, 19 Sep. 2023
Five years ago today, the world lost Mac Miller at 26.
—Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 7 Sep. 2023
However, within one day, JAXA lost communication and had to scrub recovery operations.
—Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 7 Sep. 2023
Bears that get conditioned to receiving food lose their natural foraging behavior and pose threats to human safety.
—Jennifer Henderson, CNN, 7 Sep. 2023
The Vikings started 4-0 that year but lost their final six games.
—Ben Thomas | Bthomas@al.com, al, 7 Sep. 2023
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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
Phrases Containing lose
Dictionary Entries Near lose
Cite this Entry
“Lose.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lose. Accessed 25 Sep. 2023.
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Kids Definition
lose
verb1
: 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 
; losing
; 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
Nglish: Translation of lose for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of lose for Arabic Speakers
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