Skip to main content
to lose track

to lose track

85 3.7
To not know where something is or what is happening
  • phrasal verb
translation icon : perder la noción de
  • Further, if you are enjoying yourself, you lose track of time and concentrate more on the here and now.
  • lose track of time

And I just kind of lost track of her at that point.

Autoplay Next

Examples

Synonyms

to lose sight of
vsto lose track
87 3.5

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

means failing to stay informed about status or whereabouts rather than just visual loss
to lose the bubble
vsto lose track
  • Informal
1 9.9

Fail to follow what is happening and become confused

refers to failing to stay informed about status or whereabouts rather than mental confusion

Antonyms

174 2.7

To watch and write down progress or details

Tell someone often about new events or changes

28 3.4

To watch carefully so you notice danger or changes

How Aware

to keep track
174 2.7
to lose track
85 3.7
to forget
1.0

Surface Forms

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

Morphology

lose + track

The meaning 'to fail to remain informed or aware' is directly derivable from combining 'lose' (to no longer have or locate) with 'track' (to follow or monitor): it literally means to lose one's ability to follow/monitor someone or something. This compositional pattern is common and parallels equivalent constructions in other languages, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents should be able to infer the meaning.

Etymology

Lose track comes from the simple image of losing a path or trail; if you lose the track, you can no longer tell where you are or where someone or something is. So it now means 'to stop knowing the current time, position, or progress'.