What does "lost" mean?
people who are destined to die soon
Lost
/lɒst/ adj, verb
adj, verb ·Common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: people who are destined to die soon
- Grammar: lost is listed as adj, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: abandoned, abashed, ablated, abroad.
- Useful contrasts: conserved property, extant reptile, extant species.
- Usage evidence: One million people lost their lives in the war.
How to use "lost"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "lost" 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 "lost" 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 "lost" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "lost" 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 "lost" is acting as adj, verb 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 "abandoned" 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 "lost", 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 people who are destined to die soon wordnet
Verb
- 1 simple past and past participle of lose form-of, participle, past
Adjective
- 1 Having wandered from, or unable to find, the way.
"The children were soon lost in the forest."
- 2 In an unknown location; unable to be found.
"Deep beneath the ocean, the Titanic was lost to the world."
- 3 Not perceptible to the senses; no longer visible.
"an island lost in a fog; a person lost in a crowd"
- 4 Parted with; no longer held or possessed.
"a lost limb; lost honour"
- 5 Not employed or enjoyed; thrown away; employed ineffectually; wasted; squandered.
"a lost day; a lost opportunity or benefit; no time should be lost"
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 Ruined or destroyed, either physically or morally; past help or hope.
"a ship lost at sea; a woman lost to virtue; a lost soul"
- 7 Hardened beyond sensibility or recovery; alienated; insensible.
"lost to shame; lost to all sense of honour"
- 8 Occupied with, or under the influence of, something, so as not to notice external things.
"to be lost in thought"
Adjective
- 1 not caught with the senses or the mind wordnet
- 2 unable to function; without help wordnet
- 3 no longer in your possession or control; unable to be found or recovered wordnet
- 4 spiritually or physically doomed or destroyed wordnet
- 5 not gained or won wordnet
Show 4 more definitions
- 6 having lost your bearings; confused as to time or place or personal identity wordnet
- 7 perplexed by many conflicting situations or statements; filled with bewilderment wordnet
- 8 cannot be recovered or regained wordnet
- 9 deeply absorbed in thought wordnet
Antonyms
Example
"One million people lost their lives in the war."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "lost"?
Common synonyms include: abandoned, abashed, ablated, abroad, absent, absent-minded.
How do you use "lost" in a sentence?
One million people lost their lives in the war.
How do you pronounce "lost"?
Pronounced /lɒst/.
Etymology
From Middle English loste, losede (preterite) and Middle English lost, ilost, ilosed (past participle), from Old English losode (preterite) and Old English losod, ġelosod, equivalent to lose + -t.