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

The winner advances to face Mercedes Moné at All In, though regardless of the outcome, the loser should still have a prominent role at Wembley Stadium. — Rob Wolkenbrod, Forbes.com, 26 July 2026

Nearly eight months after one of the wildest coaching moves in recent memory, who are the winners and losers from the butterfly effect Kiffin kicked off by leaving Oxford for Baton Rouge? — Matt Baker, New York Times, 23 July 2026

From there on out, every story beat will be familiar to anyone who’s ever seen a come-from-behind underdog loser redemption movie. — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 21 July 2026

In that scenario, China’s long-suffering savers would be double losers. — Andy Browne, semafor.com, 21 July 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