lose
To cease to have (something) in one's possession or capability.
Verb 4 meanings
To cease to have (something) in one's possession or capability.
“If you lose that ten-pound note, you'll be sorry.”
To wander from; to miss, so as not to be able to find; to go astray from.
“I lost my way in the forest.”
To become a defeated competitor in (a game, competition, trial, etc).
“We lost the football match.”
To be defeated (in a game, competition, contest, etc.)
“The team scored four goals but still managed to lose.”
Etymology
From Middle English losen, from Old English losian. The modern pronunciation with /uː/ (instead of the /oʊ~əʊ/ that would be expected from Early Modern /ɔː/) is due to conflation with loose.
Similar and opposite words
LOSE at a glance
LOSE has 4 letters and scores 4 points in Scrabble (L 1 + O 1 + S 1 + E 1) and 5 in Words With Friends, before board bonuses. It ranks #842 by how often it appears in everyday English. It is valid in ENABLE, NWL2023, Collins/SOWPODS.
Rhymes with lose
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