lose (lōōz)

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[Middle English losen, from Old English losian, to perish, from los, loss.]

verb: lost (lôst, lŏst), los·ing, los·es. 

transitive verb 

1. To be unsuccessful in retaining possession of; mislay: He's always losing his car keys.
2. 1. To be deprived of (something one has had): lost her art collection in the fire; lost her job.
   2. To be left alone or desolate because of the death of: lost his wife.
   3. To be unable to keep alive: a doctor who has lost very few patients.
3. To be unable to keep control or allegiance of: lost his temper at the meeting; is losing supporters by changing his mind.
4. To fail to win; fail in: lost the game; lost the court case.
5. To fail to use or take advantage of: Don't lose a chance to improve your position.
6. To fail to hear, see, or understand: We lost the plane in the fog. I lost her when she started speaking about thermodynamics.
7. 1. To let (oneself) become unable to find the way.
   2. To remove (oneself), as from everyday reality into a fantasy world.
8. To rid oneself of: lost five pounds.
9. To consume aimlessly; waste: lost a week in idle occupations.
10. To wander from or become ignorant of: lose one's way.
11. 1. To elude or outdistance: lost their pursuers.
    2. To be outdistanced by: chased the thieves but lost them.
12. To become slow by (a specified amount of time). Used of a timepiece.
13. To cause or result in the loss of: Failure to reply to the advertisement lost her the job.
14. To cause to be destroyed. Usually used in the passive: Both planes were lost in the crash.
15. To cause to be damned.

intransitive verb 

1. To suffer loss.
2. To be defeated.
3. To operate or run slow. Used of a timepiece.

phrasal verbs

lose out

To fail to achieve or receive an expected gain.

idioms

lose it

To lose control; blow up. To become deranged or mentally disturbed. To become less capable or proficient; decline.

lose out on

To miss (an opportunity, for example).

lose time

To operate too slowly. Used of a timepiece. To delay advancement.