1
: not made use of, won, or claimed
a lost opportunity
2
a
: no longer possessed
a lost reputation
b
: no longer known
a lost tunnel
3
: ruined or destroyed physically or morally : desperate
a lost soul
4
a
: taken away or beyond reach or attainment : denied
regions lost to the faith
b
: insensible, hardened
lost to shame
5
a
: unable to find the way
b
: no longer visible
lost in the crowd
c
: lacking assurance or self-confidence : helpless
lost without his glasses
7
: not appreciated or understood : wasted
Their jokes were lost on me.
8
: obscured or overlooked during a process or activity
lost in translation
9
: hopelessly unattainable : futile
a lost cause
Examples of lost in a Sentence
Adjective
He was looking for his lost keys.
Many have tried to find the ruins of the lost city.
We took a wrong turn and got lost.
Hold my hand. I don't want you to get lost.
He has been trying to recapture his lost youth.
The original music is lost to us forever.
Recent Examples on the Web
Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 16 Nov. 2025
Amid what's looking like a lost season, the 6-foot-2 standout departed Memphis' ongoing road matchup with the Cleveland Cavaliers with a new injury in the first quarter, and has already been ruled out for the duration of the bout with a sore right calf, per Marc Stein of The Stein Line.
—Alex Kirschenbaum, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Nov. 2025
While animals like salamanders can naturally regenerate lost limbs, humans have only a limited ability, capable of regrowing just the very tips of fingers under rare conditions.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 13 Nov. 2025
In the view of many here in Idaho, EBR-II’s closure was a lost opportunity at seemingly endless power.
—Brandon Loomis, AZCentral.com, 12 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lost
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Adjective
In the short term, however, emergency grants and loans from the Knight Foundation and other philanthropies are helping replace some of the lost funds.
—Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 16 Nov. 2025
Amid what's looking like a lost season, the 6-foot-2 standout departed Memphis' ongoing road matchup with the Cleveland Cavaliers with a new injury in the first quarter, and has already been ruled out for the duration of the bout with a sore right calf, per Marc Stein of The Stein Line.
—Alex Kirschenbaum, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Nov. 2025
While animals like salamanders can naturally regenerate lost limbs, humans have only a limited ability, capable of regrowing just the very tips of fingers under rare conditions.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 13 Nov. 2025
In the view of many here in Idaho, EBR-II’s closure was a lost opportunity at seemingly endless power.
—Brandon Loomis, AZCentral.com, 12 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lost
Cite this Entry
“Lost.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lost. Accessed 19 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
lost
adjective1
: not used, won, or claimed
lost opportunities
2
: no longer possessed or known
a long lost uncle
3
: ruined or destroyed physically or morally
4
: unable to find the way
a lost puppy
5
: having the mind absorbed and not aware of surroundings
lost in daydreams
6
: futile
a lost cause
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