lost

American  

[lawst, lost] / lɔst, lɒst /

adjective

1. no longer possessed or retained.

   lost friends.

   Synonyms:

   past, former

2. no longer to be found.

   lost articles.

3. having gone astray or missed the way; bewildered as to place, direction, etc..

   lost children.

   Synonyms:

   missing, absent

4. not used to good purpose, as opportunities, time, or labor; wasted.

   a lost advantage.

5. being something that someone has failed to win.

   a lost prize.

6. ending in or attended with defeat.

   a lost battle.

7. destroyed or ruined.

   lost ships.

8. preoccupied; rapt.

   He seems lost in thought.

9. distracted; distraught; desperate; hopeless.

   the lost look of a man trapped and afraid.

---

verb (used with or without object)

1. simple past tense and past participle of lose.

idioms

1. get lost,

   1. to absent oneself.

      I think I'll get lost before an argument starts.

   2. to stop being a nuisance.

      If they call again, tell them to get lost.

2. lost to,

   1. no longer belonging to.

   2. no longer possible or open to.

      The opportunity was lost to him.

   3. insensible to.

      lost to all sense of duty.

lost British  

/ lɒst /

adjective

1. unable to be found or recovered

2. unable to find one's way or ascertain one's whereabouts

3. confused, bewildered, or helpless

   he is lost in discussions of theory

4. (sometimes foll by on) not utilized, noticed, or taken advantage of (by)

   rational arguments are lost on her

5. no longer possessed or existing because of defeat, misfortune, or the passage of time

   a lost art

6. destroyed physically

   the lost platoon

7. (foll by to) no longer available or open (to)

8. (foll by to) insensible or impervious (to a sense of shame, justice, etc)

9. (foll by in) engrossed (in)

   he was lost in his book

10. morally fallen

    a lost woman

11. damned

    a lost soul

12. informal (usually imperative) go away and stay away

---

lost More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing lost

• get lost
• he who hesitates is lost
• lose
• make up for lost time
• no love lost
• you've lost me

---

Other Word Forms

• unlost adjective

Etymology

Origin of lost

First recorded in 1530–40, for the adjective

Example Sentences

Thousands of jobs were lost at the UK's largest steelworks – which for a century have dominated life in Port Talbot – in 2024 when Tata Steel restructured its business operations.

From BBC

She said the closure of shops was a "massive shame", adding: "They might have lost quite a lot of money from that. A lot of the staff are very frightened."

From BBC

Even with Tuesday’s bounce, Boeing’s stock still dropped 12.5% in March — the Iran conflict started on Feb. 28 — to suffer its biggest monthly decline since it lost 13% on April 30.

From MarketWatch

Wreckage of the An-26 aircraft was found on Tuesday after the plane lost contact with authorities during a "routine flight", according to the ministry.

From BBC

I go for him ahead of Manchester City's Phil Foden, whose season has lost momentum at club level and who struggled when he started in the friendly against Uruguay at Wembley.

From BBC

Related Words

• absent
• adrift
• disoriented
• hidden
• invisible
• misplaced
• vanished