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

But the Biden-Harris ticket ousted Trump from the White House, with the scheming poor loser refusing to concede defeat and inciting a riotous mob at the nation’s Capitol in a failed effort to block certification of the election results.

From Los Angeles Times

“I think he’ll go from being a sore loser to a sore winner,” said Terhune, who lives outside Indianapolis in a blue-collar neighborhood.

From Los Angeles Times

In his Jan. 6 remarks on the Ellipse, Trump had encouraged thousands of his followers to “show strength” and demand that Congress deny his opponent’s resounding victory and instead hand power to the loser of the 2020 election: him.

From Salon

It was time to stop entertaining that he might simply be a loser; he was now something of a martyred folk hero.

From Slate

The Electoral College has a misfire rate of five out of the 59 presidential elections in American history, delivering the Oval Office to the popular vote loser twice this century.

From Salon

Related Words

• also-ran
• underdog