loser

loser — noun

1. someone who does not come out on top in a sports event, game, or any other compe

1.nounA2
Definition

someone who does not come out on top in a sports event, game, or any other competitive activity

Example

After losing the chess championship, Esteban congratulated the winner like a true loser.

fixed expression: 'true loser' after a defeat

The visiting team were sore losers who kept arguing with the referee.

collocation: 'sore loser' for someone who complains after losing

Common collocations
  • sore loser
  • bad loser
  • gracious loser
  • good loser
Synonyms
  • defeated contestant

    more neutral and less emotionally loaded than 'loser'

  • also-ran

    informal; specifically refers to someone far from winning, not just the runner-up

  • runner-up

    only the second-place finisher, not all defeated participants

Antonyms
  • winner

    the person or team that actually wins

  • champion

    a winner who has defeated all opponents, especially in a tournament

  • victor

    more formal; used in military or competitive contexts

Grammar Patterns

a + loser

the + loser

Usage Note

Frequently paired with the adjectives 'bad' or 'sore' in the fixed expressions 'bad loser' and 'sore loser' to describe someone who reacts poorly to defeat.

Common Mistakes

He was a loser of the race.
He was the loser in the race.
Use 'the' (definite article) and 'in' rather than 'a' and 'of' when specifying the competition.

2. a person who repeatedly fails to achieve goals or find success in life, especial

2.nounB1
Definition

a person who repeatedly fails to achieve goals or find success in life, especially in activities most people manage without great difficulty

Example

Nila called herself a loser after eight months of failed job hunting.

collocation: 'call oneself a loser' for self-criticism

Vivek's uncle called him a loser for dropping out, yet he built a successful business.

contrast pattern: called a loser for X, but later Y

Common collocations
  • born loser
  • total loser
  • complete loser
  • real loser
Synonyms
  • failure

    more direct and general; can apply to a person or an attempt

  • underachiever

    less harsh; describes someone who could do better but does not try hard enough

  • nobody

    informal; emphasises lack of importance or status rather than repeated failure

Antonyms
  • success

    can refer to a successful person without the harsh tone of 'winner'

  • achiever

    positive term for someone who reaches goals through effort

Grammar Patterns

a + loser

feel like + a + loser

Usage Note

Often used as a harsh criticism when the speaker has a low opinion of someone's repeated failures. Avoid in formal or professional contexts because it carries strong disapproval.

Common Mistakes

She is a loser because she made one mistake on the test.
She felt like a loser after failing the same exam three times.
'Loser' in this sense implies a pattern of failure, not a single error.

3. someone regarded as worthless or deserving of scorn because of their dishonest,

3.nounB2
Definition

someone regarded as worthless or deserving of scorn because of their dishonest, weak, or mean behaviour

Example

Roya told her brother the shoplifters he hung out with were pathetic losers.

insult pattern: 'pathetic losers' for moral disapproval

The coach called the player a loser for quitting on his teammates mid-match.

Common collocations
  • pathetic loser
  • worthless loser
  • sad loser
Synonyms
  • good-for-nothing

    similar strength; emphasises uselessness rather than moral failing

  • waste of space

    very informal and harsh; suggests the person contributes nothing positive

  • scumbag

    stronger and more vulgar; implies serious moral depravity

Antonyms
  • role model

    someone worthy of respect and admiration

  • decent person

    neutral positive description contrasting with the insult

Grammar Patterns

a + loser

a bunch of + losers

Usage Note

Strongly insulting. Distinguish from sense 2 (CHRONIC FAILURE): sense 2 focuses on lack of success, while this sense focuses on moral disapproval — the person is seen as weak, dishonest, or contemptible rather than merely unsuccessful.

Common Mistakes

The politician is a loser because his policy failed.
The politician is dishonest, and many voters have lost respect for him.
Calling someone a 'loser' for a policy failure mixes up moral contempt (sense 3) with unsuccessful outcome (sense 2 or 4).

4. a person, group, or thing that ends up in a weaker position or suffers a disadva

4.nounB2
Definition

a person, group, or thing that ends up in a weaker position or suffers a disadvantage as a result of a change, decision, or event

Example

When the department store closed its downtown location, the employees were the biggest losers.

pattern: 'the biggest losers' in business context

In trade disputes, consumers often end up as losers when import prices rise.

Common collocations
  • the biggest losers
  • the real losers
  • the net losers
  • the clear losers
Synonyms
  • victim

    stronger; implies harm was done, not just disadvantage

  • casualty

    common in economic or political contexts; suggests serious negative impact

  • sufferer

    focuses on the experience of harm or loss

Antonyms
  • beneficiary

    someone who gains from the same process

  • gainer

    shorter term; used in financial or competitive analysis

Grammar Patterns

the + losers

the biggest + losers

Usage Note

Unlike the other senses, this one can refer to non-human entities such as industries, regions, or even animals. Frequently appears in economic, political, and environmental reporting. Often used in the plural form 'losers'.

Common Mistakes

The environment was the loser of the new law.
The environment was one of the losers under the new law.
Use 'under' or 'in' rather than 'of' to describe who suffers from a policy or decision.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words describe someone connected to losing, but with important differences. A loser is simply anyone who loses a contest — the broadest term. An also-ran is someone who finishes far behind the winner, not even placing in the top spots; it is informal and often used in political races. A runner-up finishes second; it is neutral and factual, with no negative connotation. An underdog is expected to lose before the event starts but may actually win — it describes the anticipated loser, not the actual one. For example: 'The underdog team stunned everyone by winning the final, while the defending champion became the loser.'

also-ranrunner-updefeated contestantunderdog ↗

Common collocations

Phrases

  • a bunch of losers
  • end up a loser

Prepositions

  • loser in
  • loser at

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

The noun 'loser' developed from the verb 'lose', which comes from Old English 'losian' (to perish or be lost). The specific meaning 'someone defeated in a contest' appeared in the 1500s. By the late 1800s the word had expanded to describe someone habitually unsuccessful, and by the mid-1900s the insult sense (a contemptible person) became common in American English.