long-lost

IPA/ˈlɒŋ lɒst/
IPA/ˈlɔːŋ lɔːst/

long-lost — adjective

1. relating to a relative, close friend, or valued object that someone has not enco

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

relating to a relative, close friend, or valued object that someone has not encountered or heard from in many years — often used in stories about emotional reunions or surprising rediscoveries.

Example

After the war, Emilio finally found his long-lost brother living in a mountain village.

attributive use with a family noun

The museum happily recovered a long-lost painting that went missing in the 1940s.

collocation with a treasured object

Common collocations
  • long-lost brother
  • long-lost sister
  • long-lost friend
  • long-lost relative
  • long-lost cousin
  • long-lost treasure
  • long-lost artwork
  • long-lost painting
  • long-lost letter
  • long-lost diary
  • long-lost manuscript
Synonyms
  • long absent

    more factual and less emotional than long-lost; used in formal or bureaucratic contexts

  • estranged

    implies deliberate separation or conflict, not merely the passage of time

  • long-missing

    more common for objects or missing persons; carries a tone of official concern

Grammar Patterns

long-lost + noun (a person or object)

Usage Note

Used only before a noun (attributive position). The noun that follows is typically a family relation (brother, sister, cousin), a close friend, or a valuable/sentimental object (painting, letter, diary). Common in news stories about family reunions, art recovery, and personal rediscoveries.

Common Mistakes

I found my long-lost wallet under the sofa.
I found my long-lost wallet after searching for years.
long-lost implies an absence of many years, not hours or days.
My long-lost phone was behind the cushion.
My long-lost ring turned up in an old jewellery box.
the word suits sentimental or high-value objects better than everyday items.

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

While 'long-lost' focuses on the emotional weight of years without contact, 'long absent' is a more factual, less dramatic alternative — it simply states the duration without implying a warm reunion ('a long-absent colleague returned to the office'). 'Estranged' differs sharply: it suggests deliberate separation or emotional conflict, not merely the passage of time ('she remained estranged from her father for twenty years'). 'Long-missing' overlaps with long-lost for objects and missing persons but carries a more official or anxious tone ('police found the long-missing toddler alive'). Use 'long-lost' when you want to highlight both the duration and the emotional significance of the rediscovery.

long absentestranged ↗long-missing

Common collocations

Nouns

Etymology

Old EnglishEnglish

A compound of 'long' (from Old English 'lang', meaning great in extent or duration) and 'lost' (from Old English 'losian', meaning to perish or be ruined). The adjective has been recorded in English since the early 19th century, appearing in novels and newspapers to describe people or objects whose absence has stretched over a very extended period, often with an expectation of eventual return or rediscovery.