Search results for 'lose':

lose verb (lost, losing) 1 a to fail to keep or obtain something, especially because of a mistake, carelessness, etc • lost his money through a hole in his pocket; b to stop or begin to stop having (some distinguishing quality, characteristic or property) • She was losing her nerve • Despite everything, he hasn't lost his sense of humour; c to become less marked, noticeable, intense, etc in a specified way • These roses have lost their smell. 2 a to misplace something, especially temporarily • I've lost the car keys; b to be unable to find something; c to leave accidentally • I lost the umbrella at the cinema. 3 a to suffer the loss of someone (usually a close friend or relative) through death; b to suffer the loss of (an unborn baby) through miscarriage or stillbirth; c to fail to save the life of (especially a patient); d to be deprived of someone or something (life, possessions, etc), especially in a war, fire, natural disaster, etc • The village lost half its population in the earthquake; e (be lost) to be killed or drowned, especially at sea. 4 to fail to use or get something; to miss (an opportunity). 5 a tr & intr to fail to win (a game, vote, proposal, election, battle, bet, etc); b to give away; to forfeit • lost £50 on the horses. 6 a to be unable or no longer able to hear, see, understand, etc someone or something • Sorry, I lost what you said when that noisy bus went by; b to confuse or bewilder someone • Sorry, you've lost me there. 7 a to escape or get away from someone or something; b said of a competitor in a race, etc: to leave (the rest of the field, etc) behind. 8 said of a clock or watch: to become slow by (a specified amount). lose one's cool colloq to become upset. lose face to be humiliated or discredited. lose one's grip or lose one's grip on something to be unable to control or understand things. lose ground to slip back or behind • Major steadily lost ground in the opinion polls. lose one's head to become angry or irrational. lose heart to become discouraged; to despair. lose one's heart or lose one's heart to someone to fall in love (with them). lose one's licence to be disqualified from driving, usually for exceeding the limit of alcohol in the blood or for driving dangerously. lose one's marbles slang to go completely crazy. lose one's mind or reason to behave irrationally, especially temporarily. lose one's rag or lose the rag Brit colloq to become very angry. lose sight of someone or something 1 to be unable or no longer able to see them or it. 2 to forget or ignore the importance of them or it • They lost sight of their original aims. lose sleep over something to worry about it or be preoccupied by it. lose one's temper to become angry. lose one's touch to forget how to do something; to be less proficient at doing something than one used to be. lose touch with someone or something to no longer be in contact with them or it. lose track of someone or something to fail to notice or monitor the passing or progress of them or it. lose one's voice to be unable or hardly able to speak, especially due to having a sore throat, a cold or flu. lose one's way or lose the way to be unable or no longer able to tell where one is or in which direction one should be going; to stray from one's intended route by mistake.
ETYMOLOGY: Anglo-Saxon losian to be lost.

lose verb (lost, losing) 1 a to fail to keep or obtain something, especially because of a mistake, carelessness, etc • lost his money through a hole in his pocket; b to stop or begin to stop having (some distinguishing quality, characteristic or property) • She was losing her nerve • Despite everything, he hasn't lost his sense of humour; c to become less marked, noticeable, intense, etc in a specified way • These roses have lost their smell. 2 a to misplace something, especially temporarily • I've lost the car keys; b to be unable to find something; c to leave accidentally • I lost the umbrella at the cinema. 3 a to suffer the loss of someone (usually a close friend or relative) through death; b to suffer the loss of (an unborn baby) through miscarriage or stillbirth; c to fail to save the life of (especially a patient); d to be deprived of someone or something (life, possessions, etc), especially in a war, fire, natural disaster, etc • The village lost half its population in the earthquake; e (be lost) to be killed or drowned, especially at sea. 4 to fail to use or get something; to miss (an opportunity). 5 a tr & intr to fail to win (a game, vote, proposal, election, battle, bet, etc); b to give away; to forfeit • lost £50 on the horses. 6 a to be unable or no longer able to hear, see, understand, etc someone or something • Sorry, I lost what you said when that noisy bus went by; b to confuse or bewilder someone • Sorry, you've lost me there. 7 a to escape or get away from someone or something; b said of a competitor in a race, etc: to leave (the rest of the field, etc) behind. 8 said of a clock or watch: to become slow by (a specified amount). lose one's cool colloq to become upset. lose face to be humiliated or discredited. lose one's grip or lose one's grip on something to be unable to control or understand things. lose ground to slip back or behind • Major steadily lost ground in the opinion polls. lose one's head to become angry or irrational. lose heart to become discouraged; to despair. lose one's heart or lose one's heart to someone to fall in love (with them). lose one's licence to be disqualified from driving, usually for exceeding the limit of alcohol in the blood or for driving dangerously. lose one's marbles slang to go completely crazy. lose one's mind or reason to behave irrationally, especially temporarily. lose one's rag or lose the rag Brit colloq to become very angry. lose sight of someone or something 1 to be unable or no longer able to see them or it. 2 to forget or ignore the importance of them or it • They lost sight of their original aims. lose sleep over something to worry about it or be preoccupied by it. lose one's temper to become angry. lose one's touch to forget how to do something; to be less proficient at doing something than one used to be. lose touch with someone or something to no longer be in contact with them or it. lose track of someone or something to fail to notice or monitor the passing or progress of them or it. lose one's voice to be unable or hardly able to speak, especially due to having a sore throat, a cold or flu. lose one's way or lose the way to be unable or no longer able to tell where one is or in which direction one should be going; to stray from one's intended route by mistake.
ETYMOLOGY: Anglo-Saxon losian to be lost.

lose verb (lost, losing) 1 a to fail to keep or obtain something, especially because of a mistake, carelessness, etc • lost his money through a hole in his pocket; b to stop or begin to stop having (some distinguishing quality, characteristic or property) • She was losing her nerve • Despite everything, he hasn't lost his sense of humour; c to become less marked, noticeable, intense, etc in a specified way • These roses have lost their smell. 2 a to misplace something, especially temporarily • I've lost the car keys; b to be unable to find something; c to leave accidentally • I lost the umbrella at the cinema. 3 a to suffer the loss of someone (usually a close friend or relative) through death; b to suffer the loss of (an unborn baby) through miscarriage or stillbirth; c to fail to save the life of (especially a patient); d to be deprived of someone or something (life, possessions, etc), especially in a war, fire, natural disaster, etc • The village lost half its population in the earthquake; e (be lost) to be killed or drowned, especially at sea. 4 to fail to use or get something; to miss (an opportunity). 5 a tr & intr to fail to win (a game, vote, proposal, election, battle, bet, etc); b to give away; to forfeit • lost £50 on the horses. 6 a to be unable or no longer able to hear, see, understand, etc someone or something • Sorry, I lost what you said when that noisy bus went by; b to confuse or bewilder someone • Sorry, you've lost me there. 7 a to escape or get away from someone or something; b said of a competitor in a race, etc: to leave (the rest of the field, etc) behind. 8 said of a clock or watch: to become slow by (a specified amount). lose one's cool colloq to become upset. lose face to be humiliated or discredited. lose one's grip or lose one's grip on something to be unable to control or understand things. lose ground to slip back or behind • Major steadily lost ground in the opinion polls. lose one's head to become angry or irrational. lose heart to become discouraged; to despair. lose one's heart or lose one's heart to someone to fall in love (with them). lose one's licence to be disqualified from driving, usually for exceeding the limit of alcohol in the blood or for driving dangerously. lose one's marbles slang to go completely crazy. lose one's mind or reason to behave irrationally, especially temporarily. lose one's rag or lose the rag Brit colloq to become very angry. lose sight of someone or something 1 to be unable or no longer able to see them or it. 2 to forget or ignore the importance of them or it • They lost sight of their original aims. lose sleep over something to worry about it or be preoccupied by it. lose one's temper to become angry. lose one's touch to forget how to do something; to be less proficient at doing something than one used to be. lose touch with someone or something to no longer be in contact with them or it. lose track of someone or something to fail to notice or monitor the passing or progress of them or it. lose one's voice to be unable or hardly able to speak, especially due to having a sore throat, a cold or flu. lose one's way or lose the way to be unable or no longer able to tell where one is or in which direction one should be going; to stray from one's intended route by mistake.
ETYMOLOGY: Anglo-Saxon losian to be lost.