loses;
lost
/ˈlɑːst/
;
losing
loses;
lost
/ˈlɑːst/
;
losing
Britannica Dictionary definition of LOSE
1
[+ object]
:
to be unable to find (something or someone)
-
She's always losing her gloves.
-
Don't lose your keys.
-
Hold my hand: I don't want to lose you.
-
The police lost him in the crowd. [=the police were no longer able to find/see him after he went into the crowd]
-
The airline lost my luggage. [=my luggage did not arrive at the airport I flew into]
-
He lost the fly ball in the sun. [=he was unable to see the fly ball because he was looking toward the sun]
-
The letter was lost in the mail. [=it was sent but never delivered to the person it was addressed to]
2
:
to fail to win (a game, contest, etc.)
[+ object]
-
lose a battle/game
-
She lost her bid for reelection. [=she failed to win the election; she was not reelected]
-
We lost the game by a score of 4–2.
-
He lost his title in the rematch.
-
She lost the lawsuit.
-
The team lost three games but won the next four.
[no object]
-
The team lost in the finals.
-
an athlete known for losing with grace
-
That horse always loses.
-
He hates to lose when money is involved.
-
How could she play that well and still lose?
—
often + to
3
a
[+ object]
:
to fail to keep or hold (something wanted or valued)
-
lose an advantage
-
The country lost its independence 50 years ago.
-
The mayor is losing power/influence/support.
-
He is in danger of losing control of the company.
-
She lost control of the car and skidded off the road.
-
I was so angry that I lost control (of myself, of my temper) and yelled at them.
-
She didn't lose her job but she lost access to all confidential company materials.
-
The senator lost votes when he angered some of his supporters.
-
The religious community was losing its younger members.
-
He hasn't lost his sense of humor.
-
They had lost all hope of winning the title.
-
I don't want anything to eat. I've lost my appetite. [=I no longer feel hungry]
-
She began to lose confidence in herself. [=to feel less confident]
-
Try not to lose patience with the children.
-
The accident victim was rapidly losing blood.
-
I'm sorry I'm late. I lost track of the time. [=I failed to stay aware of the time; I did not realize that so much time had passed]
-
She lost her balance [=failed to keep her weight spread equally] and fell.
b
◊ If you have nothing (else/left) to lose, you cannot make a situation worse by taking a risk. If you have a lot to lose or have too much to lose, you could make your situation much worse by taking a risk or doing something.
-
You might as well apply for the job. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.
-
Some of them are married and have young children—they have a lot to lose.
-
I can't quit now. I have too much to lose.
c
:
to fail to earn or keep (money)
[+ object]
[no object]
d
[+ object]
:
to have (something) taken from you or destroyed
-
We lost (electrical) power during the storm.
-
He lost an arm in the war. [=one of his arms was destroyed or so badly injured that it had to be removed]
-
They lost everything in the fire. [=all their possessions were destroyed in the fire]
-
He yelled so much during the game that he lost his voice [=he was unable to speak] for two days.
e
[+ object]
:
to gradually have less of (something) as time passes
-
Many people who lose weight by dieting eventually gain the weight back.
-
She has been losing strength in her legs.
-
He was gradually losing his eyesight.
-
He's losing his hair. [=becoming bald]
-
The public seems to have lost interest in the case.
4
[+ object]
:
to cause (someone) to fail to win or keep (something)
:
to cause the loss of (something) for (someone)
5
a
:
to decrease in (something)
[+ object]
-
The TV program has lost popularity [=become less popular] in recent years.
-
The plane was losing altitude.
-
What will you do if the company's stock loses value when you expect it to gain value?
[no object]
b
[+ object]
:
to decrease in value by (a specified amount)
c
[no object]
:
to decrease in value when compared to something else
6
[+ object]
a
:
to experience or suffer the death of (a relative, friend, etc.)
-
She lost her husband in the war. [=her husband was killed in the war]
-
He lost his best friend to cancer. [=his best friend died of cancer]
-
The country lost thousands of young men in/during the war. = Thousands of young men were lost [=killed] in/during the war. = Thousands of young men lost their lives in/during the war.
-
She's very sick, and the doctors say they're afraid they're going to lose her. [=they're afraid that she is going to die]
-
I was sad to hear that she lost the baby. [=that her baby died before being born or soon after being born]
-
a sailor who was lost at sea [=who died at sea]
b
:
to no longer have or be with (someone who leaves)
7
[+ object]
:
to fail to keep control of (something)
-
He lost his temper/cool/composure. [=he became angry]
-
She wondered if she was losing her mind/sanity. [=becoming insane]
-
He seems to be losing his nerve. [=becoming afraid]
—
see also lose your head at 1head
8
[+ object]
a
:
to fail to use (something, such as time)
:
waste
-
I don't want to lose this chance/opportunity.
-
We lost (a good bit of) time in that traffic jam.
-
She lost no time in getting the project started. [=she got the project started immediately]
-
We need to get started immediately. There's no time to lose.
b
of a watch or clock
:
to show a time that is earlier than the correct time
:
to run slow by (an amount of time)
[+ object]
[no object]
9
[+ object]
:
to explain something in a way that is not clear to (someone)
:
to confuse (someone)
-
I'm sorry. You've lost me. [=I don't understand what you're telling me]
-
I understood the first part of the lecture, but when he started to talk about quantum physics he lost me completely. [=I was completely unable to understand what he was saying]
10
[+ object]
:
to succeed in getting away from (someone who is following or chasing you)
11
[+ object]
informal
:
to get rid of (something unwanted)
-
I just can't seem to lose this cold.
-
Lose the attitude, okay? [=stop having a bad attitude; stop being annoyed, uncooperative, etc.]
-
You can lose [=remove] that sentence and the paragraph will sound better.
lose it
informal
2
:
to start behaving in an uncontrolled way because you are angry or upset
lose out
[phrasal verb]
:
to fail to keep or get something valued or desired
—
often + on or to
-
If you don't invest with us, you'll be losing out on a great opportunity! [=you'll be missing/wasting a great opportunity]
-
She lost out to a better-known actress for the lead role. [=she did not get the lead role because a better-known actress got it]
lose the plot
—
see 1plot
lose your grip
—
see 2grip
lose your head
—
see 1head
lose your heart
—
see heart
lose your life
—
see 1life
lose your marbles
—
see marble
lose yourself
:
to give all of your attention or thought to something
lose your shirt
—
see shirt
— losable
/ˈluːzəbəl/
adjective
— losing
adjective
-
the losing candidate in the race [=the candidate who did not win; the candidate who lost]
-
The team is on a losing streak.
-
The team had a losing record/season.