loser

[ loo-zer ]

noun

1. a person, team, nation, etc., that loses:

   The visiting team was the loser in the series.

2. Informal.
   1. a person who has been convicted of a misdemeanor or, especially, a felony:

      a two-time loser.

   2. a person who has failed at a particular activity:

      a loser at marriage.

   3. someone or something that is marked by consistently or thoroughly bad quality, performance, etc. ( winner def 2 ):

      Don't bother to see that film, it's a real loser.

3. Slang. a misfit, especially someone who has never or seldom been successful at a job, personal relationship, etc.

loser

/ ˈluːzə /

noun

1. a person or thing that loses
2. a person or thing that seems destined to be taken advantage of, fail, etc

   a born loser

3. bridge a card that will not take a trick

Other Words From

• non·loser noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of loser¹

1300–50; Middle English losere destroyer; lose, -er ¹

Idioms and Phrases

see under finders, keepers .

Example Sentences

The phrase, which references how quickly fortunes can change, feels like one of the most fitting “Harbaughisms” for a team trying to shed its history as crunch-time losers.

From Los Angeles Times

If the lessons of the FTX collapse are forgotten, there will be a few who will be winners, and many more who will be losers.

From Los Angeles Times

One does not need to be a big fan of war to find it disgusting that Trump calls people "suckers and losers" for the hard, often thankless work of serving in the military.

From Salon

The fascists won temporarily, but fascism is for losers.

From Salon

Comedian Bill Maher delivered a message to the electoral “losers” in a Friday night episode of “Real Time”: reflect.

From Salon

Related Words

• also-ran
• underdog