lose meaning and definition

LOSE verb

Definition of lose (verb)

1. fail to keep or to maintain; cease to have, either physically or in an abstract sense
   • "She lost her purse when she left it unattended on her seat"
   • antonym: hold on
2. fail to win
   • "We lost the battle but we won the war"
   • antonym: win
3. suffer the loss of a person through death or removal
   • "She lost her husband in the war"; "The couple that wanted to adopt the child lost her when the biological parents claimed her"
4. place (something) where one cannot find it again
   • "I misplaced my eyeglasses"
   • synonyms: mislay, misplace
5. miss from one's possessions; lose sight of
   • "I've lost my glasses again!"
   • antonym: find
6. allow to go out of sight
   • "The detective lost the man he was shadowing after he had to stop at a red light"
7. fail to make money in a business; make a loss or fail to profit
   • "I lost thousands of dollars on that bad investment!"; "The company turned a loss after the first year"
   • synonyms: turn a loss
   • antonym: profit
8. fail to get or obtain
   • "I lost the opportunity to spend a year abroad"
   • antonym: acquire
9. retreat
   • synonyms: drop off, fall back, fall behind, recede
   • antonym: advance
10. fail to perceive or to catch with the senses or the mind
    • "I missed that remark"; "She missed his point"; "We lost part of what he said"
    • synonyms: miss
11. be set at a disadvantage
    • "This author really suffers in translation"
    • synonyms: suffer