lose*/*/*/

[luːz]

(past tense and past participle lost [lɒst] ) verb

1) [T] to no longer have something

Mike lost his job last year.[/ex]

The family lost everything when their home burned down.[/ex]

Peter lost a leg in a climbing accident.[/ex]

Jane started to lose interest in her schoolwork.[/ex]

We've lost all hope of finding him alive.[/ex]

2) [T] to be unable to find someone or something

I've lost my bag. Have you seen it?[/ex]

You can easily lose a child in a busy street.[/ex]

3) [I/T] to not win a race or competition

Ant:

win

England lost 2–1 to Germany.[/ex]

They lost by only one point.[/ex]

Those comments may well have lost them the election.[/ex]

4) [T] to have less of something than before because some of it has gone

The plane suddenly lost cabin pressure.[/ex]

He's lost a lot of weight recently.[/ex]

5) [T] if you lose a member of your close family or a close friend, they die

She lost her son in a car accident.[/ex]

6) [T] if you lose time or an opportunity, you waste it

7) [T] to manage to escape from someone who is following you

8) [T] to make someone confused when you are explaining something

I'm sorry, you've lost me there. Who's Andrew?[/ex]

9) [T] if a clock or watch loses time, it is operating too slowly and shows a time that is earlier than the correct time

•

have a lot/too much to lose — to be in a position where something bad might happen if you are not successful[/ex]

have nothing to lose — used for saying that someone should try something because their situation will not be any worse if they fail[/ex]

lose count — 1) to forget a total when you are counting something[/ex]

Don't talk to me or I'll lose count.[/ex]

— 2) used for emphasizing that something has happened many times

I've lost count of the times he's asked to borrow money.[/ex]

lose it — informal 1) to suddenly become unable to behave or think in a sensible way; 2) to suddenly become very angry[/ex]

lose ground — to go into a position where you are less advanced or successful than someone else[/ex]

lose your life — to die as a result of something such as an accident, war, or illness[/ex]

He lost his life in a sailing accident.[/ex]

lose your mind — informal to become crazy or confused[/ex]

lose touch (with sth) — to not know the most recent information about something, so you no longer understand it completely[/ex]

lose touch / contact (with sb) — to not know what someone is doing because you have not talked to or communicated with them for a long time[/ex]