lose

Reading level: easy

Estimated CEFR level: A1 — Beginner

Estimated from word frequency; not an official CEFR classification.

Definition

  1. verb fail to keep or to maintain; cease to have, either physically or in an abstract sense
  2. verb fail to win
  3. verb suffer the loss of a person through death or removal

Etymology

From Middle English losen, from Old English losian. The modern pronunciation with /uː/ (instead of the /oʊ~əʊ/ that would be expected from Early Modern /ɔː/) is due to conflation with loose.

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