lost

[lawst, lost]

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.

lost

/ 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

Other Word Forms

• unlost adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of lost¹

First recorded in 1530–40, for the adjective

Idioms and Phrases

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.

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

Example Sentences

Battered by this constant deluge of information, audiences have lost their ability to appreciate not only the art of satire, but its efficacy.

From Salon

On Friday, the department said its latest estimates showed the US actually lost jobs in June, the first such decline since 2020.

From BBC

Mr Coatsworth added that Musk "presides over a company that has lost its edge, is being overtaken by rivals, and whose brand has been tarnished by Musk's actions outside of Tesla."

From BBC

He was Scotland's only remaining Labour MP in 2015 after Labour lost 40 of its 41 seats in an SNP general election landslide.

From BBC

Spurs have previously spoken about wanting to close the gap on the top clubs in the WSL but they lost ground last season and have acted slowly this summer.

From BBC

Related Words

• absent 
• adrift 
• disoriented 
• hidden 
• invisible 
• misplaced www.thesaurus.com
• vanished www.thesaurus.com