lose

1 to be unable to find or have at hand <I always lose my keys> Synonyms mislay, misplace Related Words forget, miss, overlook, pass over Near Antonyms enjoy, have, hold, keep, occupy, own, possess, retain; descry, detect, find, locate, run down, scare up, scout (up), track (down)

2 to fail to win, gain, or obtain <if the team loses this game, they're out of the play-offs> Synonyms drop Related Words forfeit Near Antonyms conquer, prevail (over), triumph (over) Antonyms nail (down), win

3 to undergo defeat <she really hates to lose at anything, and inevitably throws tantrums when it happens> Synonyms bow out, fall Related Words falter; tank, throw; forfeit; bomb, collapse, crack (up), fail, flop, flunk, fold, founder, miss, strike out, wash out Phrases take the count Near Antonyms flourish, prosper, succeed, thrive Antonyms conquer, prevail, triumph, win

4 to get rid of as useless or unwanted <we told the recent grad to lose the flashy shirts and dress conservatively for the job interview> Synonyms cashier, cast (off), chuck, deep-six, ditch, dump, eighty-six (or 86), exorcise (also exorcize), fling (off or away), jettison, junk, lay by, discard, pitch, reject, scrap, shed, shuck (off), slough (off) also sluff (off), throw away, throw out, toss, unloadRelated Words abandon, abdicate, desert, forsake; dismiss, kick out; abolish, annihilate, eliminate, eradicate, expunge, exterminate, extinguish, extirpate, liquidate, remove, root (out), stamp (out), wipe outNear Antonyms adopt, embrace, take on; employ, use, utilize; hold, hold back, keep, retain

5 to use up carelessly <we lost a good hour while he tried to find his keys> Synonyms blow, dissipate, fiddle away, fritter (away), lavish, waste, misspend, run through, spend, squander, throw away, trifle (away)Related Words splurge; consume, deplete, exhaust, impoverish, overspend, shoot; indulge, overindulge; disburse, expend, lay outNear Antonyms economize, scrimp, skimp; preserve, protect, save; hoard, lay upAntonyms conserve