loser

noun

los·​er ˈlü-zər 

1

: a person or thing that loses especially consistently

The team had a reputation for being a loser year after year.

2

: a person who is incompetent or unable to succeed

Don't waste your time on that loser.

also : something doomed to fail or disappoint

… his position is a loser politically …

—Fred Barnes

Synonyms of loser

• disaster
• failure
• catastrophe
• disappointment

Examples of loser in a Sentence

The team had a reputation for being a loser year after year.

The loser of the bet has to buy drinks for the winner.

Whoever benefits from the new government programs, the real loser will be the American taxpayer.

That guy is a born loser.

Recent Examples on the Web

Players face off against the (literal) Devil in a card game in which the loser of each hand gets their fingers cut off by a buzzsaw in the table. —Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 19 Mar. 2026

The loser of that game is eliminated. —CBS News, 19 Mar. 2026

The millions of dollars seeking to influence the outcome of Illinois’s races have been met with criticism from both winners and losers of these contests, sending a warning signal to major PACs and industries that the 2026 elections may be harder to influence than in previous cycles. —Rachel Schilke, The Washington Examiner, 18 Mar. 2026

If so, all humanity is the loser. —Nicholas D. Kristof, Mercury News, 18 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1548, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing loser

• bad/poor loser
• good loser
• sore loser

Rhymes for loser

• boozer
• bruiser
• chooser
• cruiser
• user
• abuser
• accuser
• diffuser
• multiuser