lost
11 ENTRIES FOUND:
Britannica Dictionary definition of LOST
1
:
unable to be found
—
see also long-lost
-
He was looking for his lost keys.
-
lost baggage/luggage
-
Many have tried to find the ruins of the lost city.
2
:
not knowing where you are or how to get to where you want to go
:
unable to find your way
-
The child was lost.
-
We took a wrong turn and got lost.
-
a lost puppy
-
Hold my hand. I don't want you to get lost.
3
a
:
no longer held, owned, or possessed
-
He has been trying to recapture his lost youth.
-
She's been lagging at the polls, but hopes to recover/recoup lost ground with tonight's debate. [=she hopes to gain again support she had lost]
b
:
no longer known
-
a lost civilization
-
It's a lost art.
-
The original music is lost to us forever.
c
:
no longer available
-
a lost opportunity/chance [=an opportunity that was not used]
-
The strike has cost the company millions in lost sales/earnings/revenue. [=sales/earnings/revenue that the company would have had if the strike had not happened]
-
We need to work faster to make up for lost time. [=we need to work faster because we did not get enough of the work done before now]
4
a
:
not won
:
not possible to win
-
The game was irretrievably/hopelessly lost by the end of the first half.
b
:
not capable of succeeding
-
Finishing the project on time seemed like a lost cause. [=finishing the project on time seemed impossible]
5
a
not used before a noun,
[more lost; most lost]
:
lacking confidence and feeling unsure of what to do
-
When she first moved to the city she felt a bit lost and out of her depth.
-
I don't know how I ever managed without my computer: I'd be totally lost without it!
-
I depend on her for everything. I'd be lost without her.
b
:
very unhappy
-
a lost soul [=a lonely and unhappy person]
6
not used before a noun
:
so interested in something that you do not notice other things
— often + in
-
When he's reading a book he's lost to the world.
-
He was lost in his book.
-
She was lost in thought. [=she was thinking about something and not noticing the people and things around her]
-
He seems to be lost in a world of his own.
-
lost in (a) reverie
get lost
informal
:
to go away
:
leave
— used in speech as a rude or angry way to tell someone to go away
—
see also 2lost 2 (above)
give someone up for lost
:
to decide that someone cannot be helped or saved
-
He was desperately ill, and most of the doctors had given him up for lost. [=most of the doctors said that he would die]
he who hesitates is lost
lost for words
chiefly British
:
unable to think of anything to say
-
I was so surprised to see her that I was lost for words. [=(chiefly US) at a loss for words]
lost in the shuffle
lost on
:
not appreciated or understood by (someone)
-
The jokes were lost on me. [=I didn't understand the jokes]
-
The meaning of her remark wasn't lost on him.
-
The message was lost on those for whom it was intended.
