lose
gb/lˈuz/ us/lˈuz/
A2
English
~ 400
Senses
0 senses
Verb
A2
action
1
Fail to win a contest
To not win in a game or contest.
Usage pattern:
to lose [a game/match/competition]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'lose' with 'loose'; 'loose' means 'not tight'.
Synonyms
be defeated (More formal and explicit about the result of losing.)
Antonyms
win (Opposite result in a contest or competition.)
Collocations
lose a game
|lose a match
|lose badly
|lose narrowly
Themes
sports
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Our team lost the final by three points.
- She lost the chess match after making a mistake.
- They lost to their rivals in the championship.
Learner examples
- We lost the game.
- He lost the race.
- They lost the match.
Verb
A2
action
2
No longer have something
To stop having something because you cannot find it or it is taken away.
Usage pattern:
to lose [something]
Synonyms
misplace (Implies temporarily losing track of something rather than permanent loss.)
Antonyms
find (To recover something that was lost.)
Collocations
lose your keys
|lose a wallet
|lose money
Themes
daily life
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- I lost my phone on the bus.
- She lost her wallet at the mall.
- He lost his job after the company closed.
Learner examples
- I lost my bag.
- She lost her keys.
- He lost his phone.
Verb
B1
action
3
Fail to keep possession
To stop having the ball or other object in a game.
Usage pattern:
to lose [the ball/the lead]
Synonyms
surrender (In sports, more formal; can also imply giving up intentionally.)
Antonyms
retain (To keep possession of something.)
Collocations
lose the ball
|lose possession
|lose the lead
Themes
sports
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The striker lost the ball to the defender.
- They lost the lead in the second half.
- She lost possession after a bad pass.
Learner examples
- He lost the ball.
- They lost the lead.
- She lost the puck.
Verb
B1
action
4
Fail to maintain a state
To stop having a certain feeling, ability, or condition.
Usage pattern:
to lose [interest/patience/control]
Synonyms
forfeit (Often used in formal contexts; implies giving up rights or privileges.)
Antonyms
maintain (To continue to have something.)
Collocations
lose interest
|lose patience
|lose control
Themes
emotions
|core_vocabulary
|health
Examples
- He lost interest in the project after a month.
- She lost control of the car on the icy road.
- They lost hope after many failures.
Learner examples
- I lost interest in the book.
- He lost control of his bike.
- We lost hope.
Verb
A2
action
5
Decrease in amount or value
To have less weight, money, or value than before.
Usage pattern:
to lose [weight/money/value]
Synonyms
shed (Often used for weight loss; more informal and specific.)
Antonyms
gain (To increase in weight, money, or value.)
Collocations
lose weight
|lose money
|lose value
Themes
health
|finance
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She lost five kilograms on her new diet.
- The company lost millions during the recession.
- My stocks lost value last year.
Learner examples
- I want to lose weight.
- He lost money in the game.
- The car lost value quickly.
Verb
B1
action
6
Be deprived of someone
To not have someone anymore because they died or left forever.
Usage pattern:
to lose [someone]
Synonyms
bereave (Formal; often used in the context of death.)
Collocations
lose a friend
|lose a parent
|lose a loved one
Themes
emotions
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She lost her father when she was young.
- He lost his best friend in an accident.
- They lost many soldiers in the war.
Learner examples
- I lost my father last year.
- She lost her friend in an accident.
- We lost our teacher when he moved away.
Grammar
Dictionary form
lose
IPA
GB/lˈuz/
US/lˈuz/
Syllables & stress
lose (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (lose)
Word forms
Verb
- Base: lose
- 3rd Person Singular: loses
- Present Participle: losing
- Past: lost
- Past Participle: lost
Word family
Forms
loses
verb
losing
verb
lost
verb
Negative and opposite forms
win
verb A2
Highlights
- Irregular past: lost Verb
- Irregular past participle: lost Verb
Expressions
lose one's temper
1/lˈuz wˈʌnz tˈɛmpɚ/
idiom
Suddenly become very angry
To suddenly get very angry and not stay calm.
Examples
- He lost his temper when he saw the mess.
- She tries not to lose her temper at work.
lose out (on)
1/lˈuz ˈaʊt ˈɔn/
phrasal verb
Miss an opportunity for benefit
To not get something good because you were too late or not chosen.
Examples
- We lost out on the contract because our bid was late.
- She didn’t apply and lost out on a great job.
lose face
1/lˈuz fˈeɪs/
idiom
Suffer loss of respect publicly
To be less respected by others because of what happened.
Examples
- He didn’t want to admit he was wrong and lose face.
- He didn't want to lose face by admitting his mistake.
- The politician risked losing face by changing his position.
- The politician lost face after the scandal.
lose touch (with)
1/lˈuz tˈʌt͡ʃ wˈɪθ/
idiom
Stop being in contact with someone
To not talk to or meet someone anymore over time.
Examples
- I lost touch with my college friends.
- They lost touch after moving to different cities.
lose touch (with)
2/lˈuz tˈʌt͡ʃ wˈɪθ/
idiom
Stop communicating over time
To not talk to someone anymore after some time passes.
Examples
- I lost touch with my college roommate after we graduated.
- They lost touch years ago but recently reconnected.
lose track of
1/lˈuz tɹˈæk əv/
fixed phrase
Fail to remain aware of something
To not know where something is or what is happening with it anymore.
Examples
- I lost track of time while reading.
- She lost track of her expenses and overspent.
- He lost track of where his friends were.