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to lose

to lose

∞ 3.2
No longer have a person you care about, for example when they die
  • verb
  • /luːz/
: perder
  • So out of this, you lost both of your dogs.
  • lives lost
  • lose a family member
  • lose a spouse

I mean, I mean, as you know, I lost my dog Finney.

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Examples

  • I'm sure you've lost more friends than you can count.

  • Her words are intended to shock and elicit sympathy; she has lost a father figure and suffered disappointment.

    Academic text (2015)
  • And Jim, of course, was lost at sea three years ago.

  • But it's more like you lose your soul when that happens.

  • But my mother was fine about losing her only daughter?

  • - If I lose you, I lose everything.

  • All innocent lives, all lost much, much too soon.

  • Six females in the study lost their fathers, and one female lost her mother.

    Academic text (2008)
  • It was hard enough to lose Jamie, but then to lose Michael, too, it was- - Mother used to say when, when he saved me, he saved himself.

  • It is heartbreaking to lose a loved one unexpectedly.

Idioms

Fail to reach the main goal even if you win small victories

to lose face
  • Informal
16 6.6

To feel embarrassed and seem less respected in front of other people

No longer have the skill you once had to do something well

Get a small success but lose a bigger long-term goal

1 6.7

Become very anxious, confused, or upset and act in a way that does not make sense

Die because of an accident, violence, or disaster

to lose one's shit
  • Offensive
1 9.9

To suddenly become very angry or upset in a way you cannot control

1 9.9

Fail to follow what is happening and become confused

To have sex for the first time

1 6.4

To become very upset and unable to think clearly

To suddenly become very angry and not be able to control yourself

1 5.9

To suddenly become very angry and fail to control your feelings

To fall in love suddenly, often without planning

9.9

To become very upset or frightened

To get very confused and unable to think clearly

9.9

To start behaving in a strange and out of control way

To become suddenly too afraid to do something you planned

7.3

To be left with almost no money after a bad bet or investment

Become unable to speak when you feel nervous or embarrassed

To fall in love with someone or something

To become less good at something you used to do well

Act in a confused or uncontrolled way because of strong emotion

Phrasal Verbs

to lose it
  • Informal
326 7.5

Suddenly stop controlling your feelings and become very angry or upset

95 3.7

To not know where something is or what is happening

To stop being able to see a person or thing because something blocks your view

12 3.0

To reduce the fat on your body by eating less and exercising

To become so focused on something that you do not notice anything else

To become very focused on nature and forget daily worries

How Serious

to lose
∞ 3.2
to separate
321 2.9
to drift away
24 4.5

Surface Forms

lose infinitive
losing present participle
loses third person singular
lost past
lost past participle

Etymology

Lose comes from the same root as loss and lost, meaning 'be without'. So to 'lose' a person means to be left 'without' them, which is why we use it for death or separation.