1
: to miss from one's possession or from a customary or supposed place
lost his glove
2
: to suffer deprivation of : part with especially in an unforeseen or accidental manner
lost his leg in an auto accident
3
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
4
5
: to cause the loss of
6
: to fail to keep, sustain, or maintain
lost my balance
7
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: to make (oneself) withdrawn from immediate reality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
8
a
: to wander or go astray from
lost his way
b
: to draw away from : outstrip
lost his pursuers
9
: to fail to keep in sight or in mind
lost the thief in the crowded street
10
: to free oneself from : get rid of
dieting to lose weight
11
slang
: regurgitate, vomit
—often used in such phrases as lose one's lunch
12
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)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.
Recent Examples on the Web
That’s not exactly a rousing show of support for USC’s defensive front, which lost two of its most disruptive pieces — defensive end Anthony Lucas and linebacker Eric Gentry — for the season last week.
—Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2024
Key Background Trump, who won Arizona in 2016, lost the battleground state by just 10,457 votes in 2020 to Biden.
—Antonio Pequeño Iv, Forbes, 24 Oct. 2024
Over the past four years, the home of Iron Man, Predator and Mickey Mouse—with 225,000 employees in entertainment parks and offices around the world—has lost more than $190 billion in market value.
—Michael Del Castillo, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2024
Every 90 seconds, a dog or cat in a shelter is killed in this country, and in 2023, over 415,000 animals lost their lives in shelters, according to the organization.
—Charna Flam, People.com, 24 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for lose 
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illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of
Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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about these examples.
Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2024
Key Background Trump, who won Arizona in 2016, lost the battleground state by just 10,457 votes in 2020 to Biden.
—Antonio Pequeño Iv, Forbes, 24 Oct. 2024
Over the past four years, the home of Iron Man, Predator and Mickey Mouse—with 225,000 employees in entertainment parks and offices around the world—has lost more than $190 billion in market value.
—Michael Del Castillo, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2024
Every 90 seconds, a dog or cat in a shelter is killed in this country, and in 2023, over 415,000 animals lost their lives in shelters, according to the organization.
—Charna Flam, People.com, 24 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for lose
Dictionary Entries Near lose
Cite this Entry
“Lose.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lose. Accessed 13 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids 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
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