loss

1 the act or an instance of not having or being able to find <he was upset over the loss of his wedding ring> Synonyms mislaying, misplacement Related Words deprivation, dispossession, privation; forfeit, forfeiture, penalty; sacrifice; bereavement; absence, lack, need, want Near Antonyms control, hands, having, keeping, possession Antonyms acquisition, gain

2 a person or thing harmed, lost, or destroyed <the platoon was able to accomplish its reconnaissance mission without any losses> Synonyms fatality, casualty, prey, victimRelated Words loser, underdog; martyr, sacrifice; collateral damage; murdereeNear Antonyms gainer, victor, winner; harmer, injurer; assassin, killer, murderer

3 failure to win a contest <we're discouraged by our loss on Friday, but we're training hard for next week's game nevertheless> Synonyms beating, drubbing, licking, defeat, lump, overthrow, plastering, rout, shellacking, trimming, trouncing, whippingRelated Words collapse, debacle (also débâcle), failure, fiasco, fizzle, flop, nonsuccess, setback, upset; lurch, shutout, washout, whitewashNear Antonyms accomplishment, achievement; blowout, cakewalk, landslide, romp, runaway, sweep, walkaway, walkoverAntonyms success, triumph, victory, win

4 the amount by which something is lessened <was determined to stay on the diet until he showed a loss of 10 pounds> Synonyms abatement, decline, decrement, dent, depletion, depression, diminishment, diminution, drop, drop-off, fall, falloff, decrease, reduction, shrinkage, step-downRelated Words deduction, subtraction; downturn, slip, slump; curtailment, cut, cutback, retrenchment, shorteningNear Antonyms accretion, accrual, accumulation, addition, supplement; continuation, extension; upswing, uptrend, upturnAntonyms boost, enlargement, gain, increase, increment, raise, rise, step-up, uptick

5 the state of being robbed of something normally enjoyed <her loss of sleep meant that she would have trouble concentrating at work the next day> Synonyms deprivation, privationRelated Words absence, dearth, lack, need, want; dispossession; denial, forfeit, forfeiture, penalty, sacrifice; bereavement; deficiency, inadequacy, insufficiency, paucity, poverty, scarcity, shortageNear Antonyms control, ownership, possession; accumulation, acquiring, gain

6 the state or fact of being rendered nonexistent, physically unsound, or useless <the loss of the oil tanker was more significant than the loss of its cargo> Synonyms annihilation, decimation, demolishment, demolition, desolation, devastation, extermination, extinction, havoc, destruction, mincemeat, obliteration, ruin, ruination, wastage, wreckageRelated Words depredation, despoilment, despoliation; breakup, collapse, disintegration, dissolution; assassination, execution, killing, massacre, slaughter; dismantlement, effacement, eradicationNear Antonyms rescue, salvage, salvation, saving; conservation, preservation, protection; reclamation, reconstruction, re-creation, refurbishment, regeneracy, remodeling, renovation, restorationAntonyms building, construction, erection, raising