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

My colleague counters that to do so rubs salt in the wound, and that the loser is the one to first contact the winner with congratulations. — Judith Martin, Sun Sentinel, 28 Oct. 2026

After slow starts, both teams are just fighting to earn a bowl bid, and the loser could see its head coach’s seat warm up even further. — Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 Oct. 2026

The official said the objective was not simply to hold another vote, but to establish institutions capable of producing a result accepted by both winners and losers. — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 26 Oct. 2026

Terry is facing an ugly divorce, and his wife is getting all the other stores, each profitable, leaving him with just this one branch, the only money-loser in the portfolio. — Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 26 Oct. 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