What does "lose" mean?
Alternative form of loos (“praise; fame; reputation”).
Lose
/luːz/ name, noun, verb, slang
name, noun, verb, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Alternative form of loos (“praise; fame; reputation”).
- Grammar: lose is listed as name, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: mislay, (fail to win: forfeit, (shed: drop, shed, be bereaved of.
- Useful contrasts: acquired skill, certain benefit, collected results.
- Usage evidence: I don't want to lose my ideas, even though some of them are a bit extreme.
How to use "lose"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "lose" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "lose" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "lose" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "lose" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "lose" is acting as name, noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "mislay" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "lose", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Alternative form of loos (“praise; fame; reputation”). alt-of, alternative, uncountable
Verb
- 1 To cease to have (something) in one's possession or capability. transitive
"If you lose that ten-pound note, you'll be sorry."
- 2 be set at a disadvantage wordnet
- 3 To cease to have (something) in one's possession or capability.; To have (an organ) removed from one's body, especially by accident. transitive
"Johnny lost a tooth, but kept it for the tooth fairy."
- 4 withdraw, as from reality wordnet
- 5 To cease to have (something) in one's possession or capability.; To shed (weight). transitive
"I’ve lost five pounds this week."
Show 21 more definitions
- 6 fail to win wordnet
- 7 To cease to have (something) in one's possession or capability.; To experience the death of (someone to whom one has an attachment, such as a relative or friend). transitive
"She lost all her sons in the war."
- 8 suffer the loss of a person through death or removal wordnet
- 9 To cease to have (something) in one's possession or capability.; To pay or owe (some wager) due from an unsuccessful bet or gamble. transitive
"Frank had lost $500 staying in Vegas."
- 10 fail to perceive or to catch with the senses or the mind wordnet
- 11 To cease to have (something) in one's possession or capability.; To be deprived of (some right or privileged access to something). transitive
"Users who engage in disruptive behavior may lose their accounts."
- 12 allow to go out of sight or mind wordnet
- 13 To wander from; to miss, so as not to be able to find; to go astray from. transitive
"I lost my way in the forest."
- 14 miss from one's possessions; lose sight of wordnet
- 15 To become a defeated competitor in (a game, competition, trial, etc). transitive
"We lost the football match."
- 16 fail to keep or maintain (of a state) wordnet
- 17 To be defeated (in a game, competition, contest, etc.) intransitive
"The team scored four goals but still managed to lose."
- 18 fail to get or obtain wordnet
- 19 To be unable to follow or trace (somebody or something) any longer. transitive
"The policeman lost the robber he was chasing."
- 20 fail to make money in a business; make a loss or fail to profit wordnet
- 21 To cause (somebody) to be unable to follow or trace one any longer. transitive
"lose the cops"
- 22 To cease exhibiting; to overcome (a behavior or emotion). transitive
"I can see Mickie getting hot, I'm about to grab his arm, hold him back, say, Whoa, whoa, Mick, not here, it ain't worth it what happened inside just now. But I don't need to because Mickie loses his anger, starts smiling at ponytail, then melodramatically starts looking around at the men and women on the street going in and out of the courthouse."
- 23 To shed, remove, discard, or eliminate. informal, transitive
"When we get into the building, please lose the hat."
- 24 Of a clock, to run slower than expected. transitive
"My watch loses five minutes a week."
- 25 To cause (someone) the loss of something; to deprive of. ditransitive
"O false heart! thou hadst almost betrayed me to eternal flames, and lost me this glory."
- 26 To fail to catch with the mind or senses; to miss. transitive
"I lost a part of what he said."
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname from German.
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
acquired skillcertain benefitcollected resultsconserved angular momenta
Example
"I don't want to lose my ideas, even though some of them are a bit extreme."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "lose"?
Common synonyms include: mislay, (fail to win: forfeit, (shed: drop, shed, be bereaved of, be defeated, be found wanting.
How do you use "lose" in a sentence?
I don't want to lose my ideas, even though some of them are a bit extreme.
How do you pronounce "lose"?
Pronounced /luːz/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English losen, from Old English losian, from Proto-West Germanic *losōn, from Proto-Germanic *lusōną, *luzōną, from Proto-Germanic *lusą. The modern pronunciation with /uː/ (instead of the /oʊ~əʊ/ that would be expected from Early Modern /ɔː/) is due to conflation with loose.
Etymology 2
* As a north/Low German surname, from a pet form of Lodewig, Ludwig. * As a south German surname, from a pet from of Nikolaus.