lost

adjective

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\ 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

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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 The exhausted yellowfin comes up sideways, floating like a lost lifeguard float. — Michael R. Shea, Outdoor Life, "Kayak Fishing Saved Lance Clinton’s Life," 11 Feb. 2020 The Conference Board, a think-tank, finds that the costs of changing bosses (severance, search, lost productivity during the transition, and so on) are generally equivalent to 5% of annual profit. — The Economist, "Take me to a leader Corporate headhunters are more powerful than ever," 6 Feb. 2020 Center for Puppetry Arts Artistic Director Jon Ludwig has adapted author and illustrator Janell Cannon’s story of a lost baby fruit bat and her efforts to fit in. — Shane Harrison, ajc, "Things to do in and around Atlanta: Jan. 31-Feb. 8," 30 Jan. 2020 Depression alone is estimated to cause 200 million lost workdays each year, at a cost to employers of $17 billion to $44 billion. — Meghan Rabbitt, Woman's Day, "How to Address Mental Health In the Workplace," 21 Jan. 2020 As for mishandled baggage, Delta averaged 1,345 late or lost bags every day, which isn't great...but American mishandled double that amount of bags. — Isabel Garcia, House Beautiful, "These Are the Best and Worst Major U.S. Airlines in 2019, Based off Lost Luggage and Cancelled Flights," 17 Jan. 2020 For more details, check out our guide to finding a lost phone. — David Nield, Popular Science, "24 hidden Android settings you should know about," 17 Jan. 2020 But that wasn't the case Saturday against Tennessee, with two interceptions, a lost fumble and his run game stymied with the exception of a handful of carries. — Barry Wilner, The Courier-Journal, "Lamar Jackson sees sensational season upended in Ravens' shocking playoff loss to Titans," 12 Jan. 2020 His last drive ended with a lost fumble on Duke’s ninth sack of a Miami quarterback. — David Furones, sun-sentinel.com, "Miami Hurricanes fall at Duke to finish regular season with two straight disappointing losses," 30 Nov. 2019

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.