1
: not made use of, won, or claimed
a lost opportunity
2
a
: no longer possessed
a lost reputation
b
: no longer known
a lost tunnel
3
: ruined or destroyed physically or morally : desperate
a lost soul
4
a
: taken away or beyond reach or attainment : denied
regions lost to the faith
b
: insensible, hardened
lost to shame
5
a
: unable to find the way
b
: no longer visible
lost in the crowd
c
: lacking assurance or self-confidence : helpless
lost without his glasses
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
Examples of lost in a Sentence
Adjective
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
Hailey Branson-Potts, Los Angeles Times, 21 May 2025
This administration has demonstrated its focus on defunding education, immigration and agricultural subsidies that support the least, the lost and the left out.
—Donte L. Hickman, Baltimore Sun, 21 May 2025
Analyst Vivek Arya estimated commitments for an infrastructure project in Saudi Arabia reported this week could generate as much as $5 billion annually for Nvidia and competitor Advanced Micro Devices Inc. and help offset lost sales as a result of chip export restrictions on China.
—Bloomberg, Oc Register, 16 May 2025
To partially offset the lost revenue, Republicans propose repealing or phasing out more quickly the clean energy tax credits passed during Joe Biden’s presidency, helping to bring down the overall cost of the tax portion to about $3.8 trillion.
—Kevin Freking, Chicago Tribune, 16 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for lost
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Adjective
Huizar would not comment on whether there have been any recent instances of lost or stolen explosives.
—Hailey Branson-Potts, Los Angeles Times, 21 May 2025
This administration has demonstrated its focus on defunding education, immigration and agricultural subsidies that support the least, the lost and the left out.
—Donte L. Hickman, Baltimore Sun, 21 May 2025
Analyst Vivek Arya estimated commitments for an infrastructure project in Saudi Arabia reported this week could generate as much as $5 billion annually for Nvidia and competitor Advanced Micro Devices Inc. and help offset lost sales as a result of chip export restrictions on China.
—Bloomberg, Oc Register, 16 May 2025
To partially offset the lost revenue, Republicans propose repealing or phasing out more quickly the clean energy tax credits passed during Joe Biden’s presidency, helping to bring down the overall cost of the tax portion to about $3.8 trillion.
—Kevin Freking, Chicago Tribune, 16 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for lost
Cite this Entry
“Lost.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lost. Accessed 28 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
lost
adjective1
: not used, won, or claimed
lost opportunities
2
: no longer possessed or known
a long lost uncle
3
: ruined or destroyed physically or morally
4
: unable to find the way
a lost puppy
5
: having the mind absorbed and not aware of surroundings
lost in daydreams
6
: futile
a lost cause
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