loser
person viewed as a failure
A person who other people think is not successful or not cool, and do not respect.
[someone] is a loser
- In high school he felt like a complete loser with no real friends.
- She called him a loser for living with his parents and not having a job.
- The movie makes fun of office losers who never get promoted.
- He used to be seen as a loser, but now he runs his own company.
- Don't talk about yourself as a loser just because you made one mistake.
- At school, he thinks he is a loser because other kids do not talk to him.
- She said, "I am such a loser," after she lost her job and her boyfriend.
- They called him a loser because he plays games all day.
- I felt like a loser when I stayed home on Saturday night.
- Please don’t call your brother a loser. It hurts his feelings.
person or team that does not win
The person or team that does not win a game or competition.
[someone] is the loser in [a game/competition]
- The loser of the final match will still receive a silver medal.
- In any game there has to be both a winner and a loser.
- She was the clear loser in the race, finishing almost a minute behind.
- The election loser quickly called to congratulate her opponent.
- As usual, I ended up the loser at cards and had to buy dinner.
- In this game there is one winner and one loser.
- He was the loser in the tennis match yesterday.
- The loser of the race was tired but still smiled.
- I do not like being the loser, but I shake hands and say, "Good game."
- The loser has to wash the dishes tonight.
person harmed by change or decision
A person or group that is in a worse situation because of a change, law, or decision.
[something] creates winners and losers
- There will always be winners and losers when a new trade deal is signed.
- Small shops are often the losers when big supermarkets open nearby.
- In this reform, young workers could be the main losers.
- Tax changes usually create both clear winners and clear losers.
- The report identifies likely losers from the new education policy.
- With any big change, there are winners and losers.
- Many farmers were the losers when food prices dropped.
- In this plan, rich people are the winners and poor people are the losers.
- After the company move, the losers were workers who had to travel farther.
- The new rule helped some students but made others the losers.
thing that performs or sells badly
A product, plan, or investment that does not do well and may lose money or fail.
[something] is a loser in [market/sales]
- That model turned out to be a real loser in the smartphone market.
- The report lists the day’s biggest winners and losers on the stock exchange.
- Their last movie was a box-office loser despite good reviews.
- The company is trying to sell off its losers and focus on core brands.
- In this sector, coal has become a long-term loser compared to renewable energy.
- Their new phone was a loser and did not sell well.
- This stock is a loser; it keeps going down.
- The product was a loser in Europe but a winner in Asia.
- Our last ad was a loser, so we will try a new idea.
- The manager wants to cut the losers and keep the good products.
card unlikely to win a trick
In some card games, a card that almost surely will not win a trick.
[someone] counts [number] losers in [a suit]
- In this hand you have two losers in hearts and one in clubs.
- You can discard a loser on partner’s long spade suit.
- The textbook explains how to count losers before you bid.
- In bridge, a low card is often a loser.
- She counted three losers in her hand before she played.
- You can throw a loser away on a strong winning card.
- He said, "I have too many losers," and passed.
- The teacher showed us how to change a loser into a winner.
bad loser
1person who behaves badly after losing
Someone who does not accept losing, and is rude, angry, or complains a lot when they lose.
- He’s such a bad loser that nobody wants to play with him.
- Try not to be a bad loser—just say, "Well played."
- Her parents told her not to be a bad loser when she cried after the game.
born loser
1person seen as always failing
Someone who seems to fail again and again in life, as if they were meant to lose.
- The main character starts out as a born loser who can’t keep a job.
- He jokes that he’s a born loser when small things go wrong all day.
- The film turns a so-called born loser into an unexpected hero.
good loser
1person who accepts losing well
Someone who stays polite and friendly after they lose, and does not get angry or upset.
- She’s a good loser and always congratulates the winner.
- Teaching kids to be good losers is part of learning to play sports.
- He lost the match but proved he was a good loser.
the biggest loser
1person or thing that loses the most
The person or thing that does the worst or loses the most in a group.
- Small towns were the biggest losers from the factory closures.
- In today’s trading, tech stocks were the biggest losers.
- He felt like the biggest loser at the party because he didn’t know anyone.
winners and losers
1groups who benefit or are harmed
The people or groups who do well (winners) and the ones who do badly (losers) because of a change or event.
- Every policy creates winners and losers in the economy.
- After the merger, there will be clear winners and losers among the staff.
- The article looks at the winners and losers of climate change.
sore loser
1Person who reacts badly to losing
Someone who gets angry or upset when they lose.
- Stop being a sore loser; it's just a game.
- Don’t be such a sore loser—it’s only a game.
- He’s known as a sore loser in chess matches.
- He stormed off the court without shaking hands like a real sore loser.
- She used to be a sore loser, but now she can laugh when she loses.