lose
//luːz//
Forms
- present (v1)
- lose
- past (v2)
- lost
- past participle (v3)
- lost
- present participle
- losing
- 3rd person singular
- loses
Definitions
1.To cease to have (something) in one's possession or capability.
- I’ve lost five pounds this week.
- She lost all her sons in the war.
- He lost his spleen in a car wreck.
2.To wander from; to miss, so as not to be able to find; to go astray from.
- I lost my way in the forest.
3.To become a defeated competitor in (a game, competition, trial, etc).
- I fought the battle bravely which I lost, / And lost it but to Macedonians.
- You just lost The Game.
- We lost the football match.
4.To be defeated (in a game, competition, contest, etc.)
- The team scored four goals but still managed to lose.
1.Alternative form of loos (“praise; fame; reputation”).
Frequency
Overall
Very common· #273
By learning goal
- Everyday conversation
- Common
- General reading & writing
- Very common
- Academic
- Uncommon
- Literature
- Uncommon
Related words
Etymology
From Middle English losen, from Old English losian.
The modern pronunciation with /uː/ (instead of the /oʊ~əʊ/ that would be expected from Early Modern /ɔː/) is due to conflation with loose.