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
Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 7 Jan. 2026
Drone technology is being credited with helping find a lost dog that escaped from a car during a pit stop last weekend on the New Jersey Turnpike and traveled more than 20 miles.
—Nick Caloway, CBS News, 6 Jan. 2026
Those names all picked up some lost ground on Monday, though.
—Jason Gewirtz, CNBC, 6 Jan. 2026
Mourning a lost season in Kansas City, where his dynasty has, at best, hit pause, or at worst hit a wall at 6-11.
—Andrew Callahan, Hartford Courant, 5 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for lost
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Adjective
The Hurricanes are a plus-3 in the playoffs (five gained, two lost) and plus-12 on the season (25 gained, 13 lost), while Ole Miss is plus-2 in playoffs (four gained, two lost) and even on the season (14 gained, 14 lost).
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 7 Jan. 2026
Drone technology is being credited with helping find a lost dog that escaped from a car during a pit stop last weekend on the New Jersey Turnpike and traveled more than 20 miles.
—Nick Caloway, CBS News, 6 Jan. 2026
Those names all picked up some lost ground on Monday, though.
—Jason Gewirtz, CNBC, 6 Jan. 2026
Mourning a lost season in Kansas City, where his dynasty has, at best, hit pause, or at worst hit a wall at 6-11.
—Andrew Callahan, Hartford Courant, 5 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for lost
Cite this Entry
“Lost.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lost. Accessed 9 Jan. 2026.
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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