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lost

lost

6 1.0
Confused and unsure what to do or where to go
  • adjective
  • /lɔst/
translation icon : perdido
  • Before she knows it, the conversation has run off without her, and she is sitting in the midst of a room full of strangers, feeling lost and foolish.
  • feel lost
  • looks lost
  • lost and confused

He looks a little lost, but that's OK, right?

Examples

  • Lucy McLain looked lost and uncomfortable, and Valuable smiled at her, but the woman looked away.

    Fiction book (1999)
  • Bob, doing his baby steps, looks lost and confused.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • I thought I knew what I wanted, but now... I feel more lost than ever.

  • I was so lost and I really just wanted to figure it out on my own.

  • Shelly looked so lost and confused.

    Fiction book (1999)
  • Then, I came back and went to school like normal, stressing and feeling lost and lonely in a sea of people.

    Blog text (8)
  • She's so very lost.

    Blog text (3)
  • He may be a little lost and confused, but deep down he's an all-American, red-blooded male.

  • After moving to a new city, I often feel lost and unsure of where to go.

  • She felt lost during the complex lecture because the topic was unfamiliar to her.

Synonyms

confused
vslost
692 1.3

Not able to think clearly or understand what is happening

has identical meaning and usage to that same state of confusion
mixed-up
vslost
  • Informal
82 4.9

Confused and unsure because different ideas or instructions do not agree

covers confusion from any source, not only conflicting information
puzzled
vslost
31 3.0

Unable to understand something because you feel confused

is wider, applying to overall confusion about situations or actions
at a loss
vslost
28 4.2

Not knowing what to do or say

is broader, covering general confusion beyond not knowing words or actions
at sea
vslost
9 6.8

Confused and not sure what to do

focuses more generally on being unable to understand events
disoriented
vslost
6 5.1

Feeling confused or lost about your place among others

is more general, covering confusion about events and actions as well
bemused
vslost
3 6.7

Unable to understand what is happening

is broader, meaning overall inability to understand events or actions
at loose ends
vslost
  • Informal
2 7.2

Feeling unsure what to do and not busy

is about inability to understand situations rather than mere lack of tasks
flummoxed
vslost
1 8.1

Not able to understand what is happening or what to do

matches the same total confusion and lack of direction
bewildered
vslost
1 5.3

Feeling confused and not knowing what is happening or what to do

expresses the same complete inability to understand situations
lost and at sea
vslost
  • Informal
7.8

Not sure what to do or where to go

is the general sense of being unable to understand events or actions
baffled
vslost
3.9

Feeling confused when you cannot understand something

is broader, covering general confusion not only from difficult problems
befuddled
vslost
7.4

Confused and unable to think clearly

is about general inability to understand events rather than thinking clarity alone
confounded
vslost
6.8

Feeling very confused and not able to understand something unexpected

is more general, applying to confusion from any cause not only complex cases
mazed
vslost
9.6

Confused and unable to think clearly

is a simpler state of not understanding what is happening or to do
bamfoozled
vslost
  • Informal
9.9

Confused and not sure what to do

is the neutral, general description of being unable to understand events

Antonyms

8 1.0

In a way that is easy to hear or understand

3.7

Familiar with a place or aimed at a particular purpose

Idioms

42 7.4

Not understood or appreciated by someone

Thinking so much that you do not notice what is around you

5 7.5

Missed when people are busy or things are disorganized

no love lost
  • Informal
3 8.3

A strong dislike between two people or groups

Hard to notice among many people or things

To look pleased but not fully happy after a small gain that follows a disappointment

lost and at sea
  • Informal
7.8

Not sure what to do or where to go

lost in action
  • Specialized
7.9

Missing during a battle with nobody knowing what happened to them

lost in Timbuktu
  • Informal
9.9

Hard to find because it is in a faraway or unknown place

Compounds

39 4.9

Something that has no chance of success

A place in a public area where lost items are kept for people to get back

lost wages
  • Specialized
6 4.8

Money a person does not earn because they cannot work

A chance to succeed that you missed

Valuable things like money or jewels that were hidden long ago

A record showing how many games a team or player wins and loses in a season

1 5.5

A failed attempt to beat an illness or other serious problem

Ten tribes of ancient Israel taken away long ago whose fate remains unknown

How Confused

perplexed
7 5.1
lost
6 1.0
baffled
3.9
puzzled
31 3.0

Surface Forms

lost positive

Etymology

Lost comes from the old English verb lēosan, the root of our word lose, which meant 'to be without' or 'gone'. That's why when you are lost you have 'lost' your way or plan and feel confused about what to do.