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

• 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

With existing sanctions on Russia and potentially new ones at stake, the eventual outcome of the Trump-Putin summit will create winners and losers in the energy space. —Jason Ma, Fortune, 15 Aug. 2025

Legislative appropriations committees could — and did — secretly decide which bills would reach the floors of both houses and just announce the winners and losers without explanation. —Dan Walters, Mercury News, 15 Aug. 2025

Without the big steps, the bureaucracy will keep finding ways to steer markets, pick winners and losers and embed itself into emerging sectors like artificial intelligence and smart cities and infrastructure. —Clyde Wayne Crews Jr, Forbes.com, 14 Aug. 2025

After winning two games in the losers bracket, Fairfield American had to play Texas again and lost 14-4. —Lori Riley, Hartford Courant, 12 Aug. 2025

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