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lose

Dictionary definition · lose

verb

  1. fail to keep or to maintain; cease to have, either physically or in an abstract sense"She lost her purse when she left it unattended on her seat"
  2. fail to win"We lost the battle but we won the war"
  3. suffer the loss of a person through death or removal"She lost her husband in the war"
  4. miss from one's possessions; lose sight of"I've lost my glasses again!"
  5. allow to go out of sight or mind"The detective lost the man he was shadowing after he had to stop at a red light"
  6. fail to make money in a business; make a loss or fail to profit"I lost thousands of dollars on that bad investment!"
  7. fail to get or obtain"I lost the opportunity to spend a year abroad"
  8. fail to perceive or to catch with the senses or the mind"I missed that remark"
  9. withdraw, as from reality"he lost himself in his music"
  10. be set at a disadvantage"This author really suffers in translation"

Source: Open English WordNet (CC BY 4.0).