lost

adjective

\ ˈlȯst

Definition of lost

1 : not made use of, won, or claimed a lost opportunity

2a : no longer possessed a lost reputation

b : no longer known a lost tunnel

3 : ruined or destroyed physically or morally : desperate a lost soul

4a : taken away or beyond reach or attainment : denied regions lost to the faith

b : insensible, hardened lost to shame

5a : unable to find the way

b : no longer visible lost in the crowd

c : lacking assurance or self-confidence : helpless lost without his glasses

6 : rapt, absorbed lost in reverie

7 : not appreciated or understood : wasted their jokes were lost on me

8 : obscured or overlooked during a process or activity lost in translation

9 : hopelessly unattainable : futile a lost cause

Other Words from lost Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about lost

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Synonyms & Antonyms for lost

Synonyms

gone, mislaid, misplaced, missing

Antonyms

owned, possessed, retained

Examples of lost in a Sentence

He was looking for his lost keys. Many have tried to find the ruins of the lost city. We took a wrong turn and got lost. Hold my hand. I don't want you to get lost. He has been trying to recapture his lost youth. The original music is lost to us forever.

Recent Examples on the Web

Now, the real lost opportunity was Matt Carothers and Rich Perloff, both betting Belmont. — John Cherwa, latimes.com, "Racing! Here’s hoping for even cooler temperatures," 10 July 2018 The drone, being flown by Lynn Fodale and Teddy Henn, was on a mission to find a lost dog named Dezie when it was felled by Chasteen, who is now being charged with third-degree criminal mischief and prohibited use of a weapon. — Eric Limer, Popular Mechanics, "Man Shotguns Drone Searching for Lost Dog," 25 Feb. 2019 He is completely entranced by the emcee, and follows her around like a lost puppy dog, if that puppy dog wanted desperately to learn how to go down on a woman. — Leah Beckmann, The Cut, "Magic Mike Live: Las Vegas," 21 June 2018 Soon after, Howell received a threatening text message demanding $600 worth of bitcoin in exchange for the safe return of the lost dog — only one problem, Happy was already home. — Carson Kessler, Fortune, "Bitcoin Scammers Are Demanding Ransom for Lost Dogs," 25 May 2018 Then, in 1968, in a spectacular turn of events, a historian teaching at the Pratt Institute and a local pilot flew over the area, searching for traces of this lost place. — Lynn Yaeger, Vogue, "The Pyer Moss Show Will Be Held in Weeksville, One of America’s First Free Black Communities," 7 Sep. 2018 Before her death last November, Katie Lee spent half a century working to restore Glen Canyon, a lost place that was even more astounding than Grand Canyon Katie Lee was a notoriously blunt woman. — Brett Martin, Outside Online, "Katie Lee, Our Lady of Glen Canyon," 24 May 2018 Some spymasters in Washington viewed Moscow as a lost cause. — Sam Walker, WSJ, "The Offbeat Genius of a Great American Spy," 26 Jan. 2019 Sharing an Instagram account with a lover sounds like a nightmare, but some lost souls are doing it, Emily Dreyfuss reports, who is now one of those souls. — Casey Newton, The Verge, "Facebook should help us understand the link between political speech and violence," 23 Aug. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'lost.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.