lose
/luːz/ (bre, ipa) · /luːz/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈlüz/ (ame, mw)
lose — verb
- losepresent simple I / you / we / they
- loseshe / she / it
- lostpast simple
- losing-ing form
1. when you cannot recall where you placed a thing you once owned, such as a wallet
when you cannot recall where you placed a thing you once owned, such as a wallet or a set of keys
Chiara lost her car keys and spent an hour looking for them.
lose + physical object (keys, wallet, phone)
Adina lost her library book and had to pay a fine.
Ravindra has lost his glasses twice this month already.
The receipt was lost somewhere between the shop and the car.
文法句型
lose + noun phrase (physical object)
用法筆記
Only used for physical objects that can be misplaced. For abstract things (time, opportunity), see senses 3, 4, and 5.
常見錯誤
2. to stop having a person or a thing in your life because they die, leave, or are
to stop having a person or a thing in your life because they die, leave, or are destroyed by an unexpected event
Hugo lost his mother to cancer when he was only twelve years old.
lose + family member + to [cause]
Bilal lost his job when the factory closed down last summer.
Many families lost their homes in the earthquake that struck the region.
Yumi lost her hearing after a serious illness at the age of five.
- be deprived of
more formal, suggests something was taken unfairly
- suffer the loss of
more formal, emphasises the emotional impact
文法句型
lose + noun phrase (person/job/possession)
用法筆記
Subject is usually a person or a community. When referring to death, the cause often follows the pattern 'lose someone to [cause]' (e.g. lost her father to cancer). Distinguish from sense 1 (MISPLACE): here the loss is permanent and not about forgetting where something is.
常見錯誤
3. to gradually or suddenly stop having a particular feeling, attitude, or quality
to gradually or suddenly stop having a particular feeling, attitude, or quality that you had before
Putri lost all interest in her hobby after doing it for years.
lose + interest / enthusiasm / hope
Christopher lost his temper when the computer crashed for the third time.
The team lost confidence after losing three important matches in a row.
Élise had lost all hope of finding her cat until the shelter called her.
- stop feeling
more neutral, less emotional weight
- cease to have
formal, used in writing
文法句型
lose + abstract noun (interest, hope, faith, temper, patience)
用法筆記
Common in fixed phrases: 'lose your temper' (get angry), 'lose your nerve' (become scared), 'lose faith/trust' (stop believing). These are often idiomatic and the exact collocation cannot be guessed.
常見錯誤
4. to experience a steady reduction in a physical quality or feature, such as hair,
to experience a steady reduction in a physical quality or feature, such as hair, strength, or weight, often as you grow older
Antonia has been losing her hair since she turned thirty-five.
lose + hair / weight / eyesight (gradual physical change)
Dr. Okonkwo noticed that he was losing his eyesight in one eye.
The old oak tree in the garden is losing all its leaves early this year.
The children lost a lot of weight during their long hiking trip.
文法句型
lose + noun phrase (hair, weight, leaves, colour)
用法筆記
Commonly progressive: 'I am losing my hair.' Use 'lose weight' for intentionally or unintentionally becoming lighter. Distinguish from sense 2 (LOSE THROUGH DEATH): here the change is gradual and natural, not caused by a sudden event.
常見錯誤
5. to use time badly or fail to take advantage of an opportunity, often by doing so
to use time badly or fail to take advantage of an opportunity, often by doing something unproductive
Mark lost an hour waiting for a train that never arrived.
lose + time + -ing form
The sales team lost a great opportunity when they rejected the offer.
lose + opportunity / chance
There is no time to lose if we want to catch the last ferry.
The company lost valuable days arguing about the new logo design.
- save
to use time or resources effectively
- make the most of
to use an opportunity well
文法句型
lose + time/opportunity
lose + noun + -ing
用法筆記
The fixed phrase 'no time to lose' means you must act immediately. The -ing form follows the object of time (e.g. 'lost time waiting'). For wasting financial resources, see sibling sense 8 (LOSE MONEY).
常見錯誤
6. when a timepiece runs at a speed that is too slow, causing it to show a time tha
when a timepiece runs at a speed that is too slow, causing it to show a time that is earlier than the real time
Grandfather's pocket watch loses about five minutes every week.
clock/watch + loses + time period
The clock in the library loses time, so the bell rings late each hour.
Chiara took her watch to the shop because it was losing ten minutes a day.
This old kitchen clock loses a few seconds each day and needs a new battery.
- run slow
more common in American English
文法句型
clock/watch + loses
clock/watch + loses + time period
用法筆記
The opposite of 'lose' in this sense is 'gain' (a clock that runs fast gains time). This sense is less common in American English, where 'runs slow' is preferred instead.
常見錯誤
7. to remove or reduce something unwanted from your body or your life, such as weig
to remove or reduce something unwanted from your body or your life, such as weight, fat, or a bad habit.
Dewi lost three kilograms after changing her diet and exercising more.
collocation: lose weight / lose kilograms
The doctor told Andrew he needed to lose some weight before his next check-up.
Yan managed to lose her fear of public speaking by practising every week.
Rachid lost his fear of heights after taking flying lessons.
The cream helped Feng lose the dark spots on his skin.
文法句型
lose + noun phrase
用法筆記
Object is typically something undesirable (weight, fat, a habit, a fear). Not used for deliberately discarding objects — use 'throw away' or 'get rid of' instead.
常見錯誤
8. to spend more money than you receive, so that a business or project operates at
to spend more money than you receive, so that a business or project operates at a financial loss.
The small café lost money in its first year and had to change its menu.
collocation: lose money
Reuben's company lost over two million dollars on that failed project.
pattern: lose + amount + on + noun
If the theatre keeps losing money every month, it will have to close.
The film studio lost money on most of its movies last year.
Investors lost millions when the tech company went bankrupt.
- bleed
informal, dramatic ('the company is bleeding cash')
- profit
formal ('the business profited')
- make money
general opposite
文法句型
lose + money
lose + amount + on + noun
用法筆記
Common with amounts of money and the preposition 'on' (e.g. 'lost $500,000 on the deal'). Frequently appears in business news and financial reports. The passive form ('money was lost') is also common.
常見錯誤
9. to finish a contest without being the winner — used for games, matches, competit
to finish a contest without being the winner — used for games, matches, competitions, elections, and arguments where one side is declared the victor.
Our school team lost the final match by just a single point.
transitive: lose + competition
Talia lost the class election by fewer than fifty votes.
Bilal hates losing, so he practises chess for hours every evening.
Renata lost the tennis match even though she played very well.
The basketball team has lost five games in a row this season.
- be defeated
more formal ('the team was defeated in the semi-final')
- come second
specific to races and rankings
文法句型
lose + noun (game, match, election)
lose (no object)
用法筆記
Can be used transitively ('lose a game') or intransitively ('they lost again'). The preposition 'to' introduces the opponent: 'lose to someone'. Not used for failing an exam — use 'fail' instead.
常見錯誤
10. to fail to hear, see, or understand something that is being communicated, becaus
to fail to hear, see, or understand something that is being communicated, because of noise, distance, or complexity.
Mateo's final words were lost in the roar of the passing train.
passive: be lost in [noise]
Élise lost the last part of the lecture when her phone rang.
The joke was lost on Reema because she did not know the reference.
Dr. Sato's careful explanation was lost in the loud classroom noise.
The name of the singer was lost in the static of the old radio.
- miss
more general ('miss what someone said')
- fail to catch
explicit ('fail to catch the name')
文法句型
be lost in + noun phrase
lose + noun (words, sounds, meaning)
用法筆記
Common in the passive voice ('be lost in', 'be lost on'). 'Lost on someone' means the person fails to understand or appreciate something. 'Lost in something' means the sound or words are drowned out.
常見錯誤
11. to stop being able to see someone or something as they move away from you; or to
to stop being able to see someone or something as they move away from you; or to escape from someone who is following or pursuing you.
Christopher lost sight of his friend in the busy night market.
collocation: lose sight of
The police lost the suspect when he ran into a crowd of shoppers.
Feng lost sight of the eagle as it flew behind the mountain peak.
The boat sailed over the horizon and we lost sight of it.
I lost sight of the cat when it ran under the neighbour's porch.
- spot
opposite — to suddenly see ('spot someone in a crowd')
- keep track of
maintaining visual contact
文法句型
lose sight of + noun phrase
用法筆記
Almost always used with 'sight of' — 'lose sight of someone/something'. The 'escape' meaning ('lose a pursuer') typically implies physical pursuit. For abstract figurative use ('lose sight of your goals'), see the primary chunk.