Synonyms of lost

lost 1 of 2

adjective

ˈlȯst 

as in missing

no longer possessed

we searched all over the house for the lost keys

Synonyms & Similar Words

• missing
• gone
• misplaced
• mislaid
• forgotten
• absent
• irretrievable
• irrecoverable
• unknown
• castaway

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• retained
• possessed
• owned
• loved
• valued
• protected
• cherished
• treasured
• prized

lost

2 of 2

verb

past tense of lose

1

as in missed

to be unable to find or have at hand

I always lose my keys

Synonyms & Similar Words

• missed
• misplaced
• forgot
• mislaid
• passed over
• overlooked

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• had
• retained
• owned
• possessed
• occupied
• enjoyed
• kept
• held
• found
• located
• detected
• ran down
• tracked (down)
• scared up
• scouted (up)
• descried

2

as in dropped

to fail to win, gain, or obtain

if the team loses this game, they're out of the play-offs

Synonyms & Similar Words

• dropped
• forfeited

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• won
• conquered
• nailed (down)
• prevailed (over)
• triumphed (over)

3

as in fell

to undergo defeat

she really hates to lose at anything, and inevitably throws tantrums when it happens

Synonyms & Similar Words

• fell
• faltered
• threw
• bowed out
• missed
• took the count
• failed
• forfeited
• collapsed
• flopped
• tanked
• struck out
• cracked (up)
• flunked
• folded
• foundered
• washed out
• bombed

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• won
• prevailed
• conquered
• succeeded
• triumphed
• flourished
• prospered
• thrived

4

as in discarded

to get rid of as useless or unwanted

we told the recent grad to lose the flashy shirts and dress conservatively for the job interview

Synonyms & Similar Words

• discarded
• dumped
• ditched
• unloaded
• abandoned
• scrapped
• shed
• rejected
• jettisoned
• removed
• junked
• tossed
• eliminated
• chucked
• exorcised
• laid by
• flung (off or away)
• threw away
• shucked (off)
• cast (off)
• sloughed (off)
• set aside
• disposed of
• cashiered
• threw out
• sluffed (off)
• deep-sixed
• dismissed
• eighty-sixed
• abdicated
• deserted
• forsook
• pitched
• eradicated
• abolished
• kicked out
• wiped out
• annihilated
• extinguished
• expunged
• exterminated
• extirpated
• liquidated
• stamped (out)
• rooted (out)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• adopted
• used
• employed
• embraced
• utilized
• retained
• took on
• held
• kept
• held back

5

as in spent

to use up carelessly

we lost a good hour while he tried to find his keys

Synonyms & Similar Words

• spent
• wasted
• squandered
• dissipated
• threw away
• misspent
• blew
• frittered (away)
• lavished
• ran through
• fiddled away
• consumed
• depleted
• trifled (away)
• exhausted
• played ducks and drakes with
• impoverished
• expended
• splurged
• indulged
• disbursed
• laid out
• overspent
• overindulged
• shot

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• conserved
• preserved
• protected
• saved
• skimped
• laid up
• hoarded
• economized
• scrimped

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of lost

Adjective

If the new proposals prevented even one company of this scale from forming, the lost tax revenue would dwarf any revenue the new R&D tax could conceivably raise. —Tomas J. Philipson, Fortune, 28 Mar. 2026

Growth hormones and genes that respond to stress were reworked, some lost, others boosted. —David George Haskell, Big Think, 27 Mar. 2026

Verb

Flory Bidunga, a player who seemed occasionally lost defensively as a freshman, became the Big 12 Conference defensive player of the year and a finalist for the national award as a sophomore. —Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 2 Apr. 2026

But the facility wasn’t up to snuff for NASCAR to return in 2014 — a product of the facility getting worse with time — and at that point, the racing seemed forever lost. —Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 2 Apr. 2026