Meaning of lose in English

1. Pronunciation

   /luz/

   US accent

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   UK accent

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1. Verb

   lose

   Etymology

   Old English losian ‘perish, destroy’, also ‘become unable to find’, from los ‘loss’

   Definitions

   1. fail to keep or to maintain

   Examples

   • « cease to have, either physically or in an abstract sense »
   • « She lost her purse when she left it unattended on her seat »

   Antonyms

   • keep
   • hold on
2. 2. fail to win

   Examples

   • « We lost the battle but we won the war »

   Antonyms

   • win
3. 3. suffer the loss of a person through death or removal

   Examples

   • « She lost her husband in the war »
   • « The couple that wanted to adopt the child lost her when the biological parents claimed her »
4. 4. place (something) where one cannot find it again

   Examples

   • « I misplaced my eyeglasses »
5. 5. miss from one's possessions

   Examples

   • « lose sight of »
   • « I've lost my glasses again! »

   Antonyms

   • find
   • regain
6. 6. allow to go out of sight

   Examples

   • « The detective lost the man he was shadowing after he had to stop at a red light »
7. 7. fail to make money in a business

   Examples

   • « make a loss or fail to profit »
   • « I lost thousands of dollars on that bad investment! »
   • « The company turned a loss after the first year »

   Antonyms

   • profit
   • turn a profit
   • break even
8. 8. fail to get or obtain

   Examples

   • « I lost the opportunity to spend a year abroad »

   Antonyms

   • acquire
   • win
   • gain
9. 9. retreat

   Antonyms

   • gain
   • advance
   • win
   • pull ahead
   • make headway
   • get ahead
   • gain ground
10. 10. fail to perceive or to catch with the senses or the mind

    Examples

    • « I missed that remark »
    • « She missed his point »
    • « We lost part of what he said »
11. 11. be set at a disadvantage

    Examples

    • « This author really suffers in translation »