Word: Lose

Pronunciation

/luːz/

Definitions

• Verb: (transitive) To fail to maintain possession, control, or presence of something; to misplace or no longer have.
  • Example: “I’m always losing my keys.”
• Verb: (intransitive) To be deprived of something by an opponent or through competition.
  • Example: “They might lose the game if they don’t improve their defense.”
• Verb: (intransitive) To suffer defeat, failure, or the absence of something desired.
  • Example: “The team lost its chance at the championship.”
• Verb: (transitive) To experience a decrease in amount, weight, or value.
  • Example: “She decided to lose weight by exercising regularly.”
• Verb: (intransitive) To become unattached or disconnected.
  • Example: “Don’t lose touch with your old friends.”

Phrases

• “Lose track of time”: To forget about the passage of time due to being engaged in an activity.
• “Lose your mind”: To become insane or irrational, usually temporarily due to stress or frustration.
• “Lose heart”: To become discouraged or lose motivation.
• “Lose sight of”: To fail to keep something in view or consideration.

Example Sentences

• Verb (misplace): “I can’t find my phone anywhere; I must have lost it somewhere.”
• Verb (defeat): “If they lose this match, they’ll drop out of the tournament.”
• Verb (decrease): “After months of dieting, he’s finally starting to lose weight.”
• Verb (unattached): “Moving to another country made him fear that he would lose connection with his family.”

Synonyms

• Mislay
• Misplace
• Forget
• Miss
• Fail to win
• Be defeated
• Shed (for losing weight)
• Discard
• Abandon (in the sense of relationships)