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lose in translation

American  
[looz in tranz-ley-shuhn, trans-] / ˈluz ɪn trænzˈleɪ ʃən, træns- /

idiom

  1. to lose or cause to lose (meaning or effectiveness) when translated into a different language, style, form, etc., or when passed through a third party.

    I suspect the Gaelic inscription loses something in translation, as it seems overly cryptic.

    Whenever people spread rumors, important details get lost in translation.

Etymology

Origin of lose in translation

First recorded in 1790–1800

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.