loser

noun

los·​er ˈlü-zər 

1

: a person or thing that loses especially consistently

The team had a reputation for being a loser year after year.

2

: a person who is incompetent or unable to succeed

Don't waste your time on that loser.

also : something doomed to fail or disappoint

his position is a loser politically

—Fred Barnes

Synonyms

• bomb
• bummer
• bust
• catastrophe
• clinker
• clunker
• debacle
• débâcle
• disaster
• dud
• failure
• fiasco
• fizzle
• flop
• frost
• lemon
• miss
• shipwreck
• turkey
• washout

Examples of loser in a Sentence

The team had a reputation for being a loser year after year.

The loser of the bet has to buy drinks for the winner.

Whoever benefits from the new government programs, the real loser will be the American taxpayer.

That guy is a born loser.

Recent Examples on the Web

The loser of Friday’s game in Atlanta enters the offseason. —Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 17 Apr. 2025

The winner will then play the loser of Tuesday’s No. 7 vs. No. 8 matchup, and whoever wins that game will become the East’s No. 8 seed and face the Cleveland Cavaliers in the playoffs. —Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 14 Apr. 2025

The loser of the 7-8 game then hosts the winner of the 9-10 game with that winner earning the eighth seed. —Dan Loumena, Los Angeles Times, 14 Apr. 2025

The winner will play at the Magic-Hawks loser on Friday to decide the No. 8 seed and who’ll face the Cavaliers. —Tim Reynolds, Chicago Tribune, 13 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1548, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing loser

• bad/poor loser
• good loser
• sore loser

Rhymes for loser

• boozer
• bruiser
• chooser
• cruiser
• user
• abuser
• accuser
• diffuser
• multiuser