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

Still, there’s only so much a birthday greeting can do to make up for a lost bag or late arrival, particularly when airlines want to steer clear of conversations that feel too personal. — Lauren Zumbach, chicagotribune.com, "From birthday wishes for passengers to tracking baggage handler injuries, airlines tap big data to try to improve operations," 12 July 2018 Ramsey, the only family member at home, was unhurt but lost memorabilia. — Richard Goldstein, New York Times, "Frank Ramsey, First Among ‘Sixth Men’ in the N.B.A., Dies at 86," 8 July 2018 White House press secretary Sarah Sanders blames the EU for those lost American jobs. — Paula Reid, CBS News, "Dow falls amid trade fears as Harley-Davidson announces plan to move production," 25 June 2018 He was cooled down and iced but lost consciousness. — Scott Springer, Cincinnati.com, "Springer: #StratmanStrong, Harrison community show the power of teamwork in preps sports," 21 June 2018 Once the matter is resolved, the movie deflates and doesn’t really have anywhere to go; in that period of taut unknowingness, a relationship comes to life that is all things at once: mother to daughter, lost soul to lost soul, friend to friend. — Ty Burr, BostonGlobe.com, "‘Nancy’ presents a mother and child reunion that is — or maybe isn’t," 13 June 2018 Some of your more hysterical US commentators (uh, me) reacted to Trump’s election by writing off Paris’s 2 degree climate target as a lost cause. — David Roberts, Vox, "The “Trump effect” threatens the future of the Paris climate agreement," 3 Dec. 2018 And in February, when Merck pulled the plug on its Phase 3 trial for another drug, its stock didn’t even go down because, as drug industry analysts noted, many investors now dismiss anti-amyloid drugs as a lost cause. — Joshua Kendall, BostonGlobe.com, "Can this doctor figure out how to stop Alzheimer’s before it starts?," 11 June 2018 The foundation for a 49-room Victorian mansion that was never built stands in silent tribute to the lost dream of prominent New York lawyer Thomas Stillman and his wife Elizabeth, who spent their summers in the shoreline borough of Mystic. — Peter Marteka, courant.com, "An Ancient Mystic Farm Stuck In Time," 18 Mar. 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.