What does lose mean?
Lose is a common verb meaning to fail to win, obtain, keep, or find something. It applies to competitions, where a team or person loses a match, and to possessions, opportunities, jobs, money, or rights, where something valued is taken away or forfeited. The verb can also mean to misplace an object, waste resources, or become less visible or noticeable. In expressions such as 'lose control,' 'lose one's temper,' and 'lose one's mind,' it describes a decline in control, composure, or rationality. The word appears widely in formal and informal contexts, from news reports to everyday conversation. Its related forms include the noun 'loss,' the noun and adjective 'loser,' and the past tense and participle 'lost.' Although 'lose' can sound similar to 'loose,' the words have different meanings: losing is failing to retain or obtain something, while something loose is not tightly secured.
verbTo fail to win, achieve, or obtain something; to be deprived of something one has; or to fail to keep or find something that one possesses or expects to have.
- To fail to win or achieve success, especially in a competition or contest.
- To be deprived of something one possesses or is entitled to.
- To fail to keep, retain, or maintain something.
- To misplace or fail to find something.
- To waste or squander an opportunity, money, time, or effort.
"The team was disappointed to lose the final after leading for most of the match."
"She was sorry to lose her place in the queue."
"The fog began to lose the outlines of the nearby buildings."
"They lost millions of pounds in the failed venture."
The word 'lose' has been part of English since the Old English period, when it already meant to misplace, forfeit, or fail to keep something.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does lose come from?
The modern English verb descends from Old English lōsan, meaning to lose, forfeit, or fail to find. It is related to forms in other Germanic languages, including Dutch lozen and German lieren, and to the Old Norse word losa. In Middle English, the verb became widely established in senses connected with failure, forfeiture, and separation. Its principal English derivatives include the noun 'loss' and the past tense and participle 'lost.'
Related word forms
How lose is actually used
The word is common in both formal and informal English. In phrases such as 'lose your temper' and 'lose your mind,' it can describe a gradual loss of control or composure. The phrase 'lose face' is more common in some Asian English varieties than in standard British or American usage.
Easily confused with lose
Lose means to fail to retain, win, or find something, whereas loose means not tightly fastened or held together.
Lose is the verb; loss is the corresponding noun, and lost is its past tense and past participle.