loss
loss — noun
1. the condition of not possessing something any more that was once yours, or of no
the condition of not possessing something any more that was once yours, or of noticing that a physical or mental ability has grown weaker.
Christopher started looking for a new job after the loss of his previous position.
loss + of + noun phrase for losing a possession or status
Tuan noticed a gradual loss of hearing in his left ear after years of factory work.
The company reported a significant loss of customers after it changed its pricing plan.
Quinn experienced short-term memory loss after the bicycle accident.
collocation: memory loss / hearing loss / hair loss
Lisa felt a deep sense of loss when her childhood home was sold to new owners.
sense of loss — emotional reaction to losing something
- weight loss
- memory loss
- hair loss
- hearing loss
- loss of income
- loss of appetite
- sense of loss
- blood loss
- deprivation
stronger, implies something was taken away forcibly rather than merely lost
- forfeiture
legal term for losing property or rights as a penalty
- reduction
focuses on the decrease in amount rather than the emotional sense of being without
- gain
opposite of loss in quantity or value
- acquisition
opposite in the sense of obtaining something new
Grammar Patterns
loss + of + noun phrase
Usage Note
Often followed by 'of' to specify what is no longer held (loss of appetite, loss of income, loss of sight). Common in medical and financial contexts with fixed expressions such as hair loss, weight loss, memory loss.
Common Mistakes
2. a disadvantage or problem caused when someone leaves a place or organization, or
a disadvantage or problem caused when someone leaves a place or organization, or when something useful or valuable is no longer available.
Vikram's move to another university was a great loss to the physics department.
a + [adjective] + loss + to + [organisation]
The loss of experienced nurses made it harder for the hospital to maintain good patient care.
When the old bakery closed down, it was a real loss for the whole neighborhood.
Élise saw the cancellation of the music programme as a loss to local children.
view something as a loss — expressing a personal judgement
- a great loss
- a real loss
- a terrible loss
- loss to the community
- loss to the team
- disadvantage
more general; doesn't carry the emotional weight of losing something specific
- setback
implies a delay or obstacle to progress rather than a permanent absence
- detriment
more formal, suggesting harm or damage
- asset
something valuable or useful that a person or organisation has
Grammar Patterns
loss + to + noun phrase
Usage Note
Commonly used after 'be a loss to/for' to express that someone or something was valuable and is now missed. Subject is often a person leaving or a resource disappearing.
Common Mistakes
3. the event of someone dying, particularly somebody who was close to you or whom y
the event of someone dying, particularly somebody who was close to you or whom you cared about deeply.
The entire family gathered to mourn the loss of their grandmother.
mourn + the loss + of + person — formal expression of grief
Vinícius still struggles to cope with the sudden loss of his father two years ago.
Defne wrote a letter expressing her sympathy after hearing about the loss of her colleague's brother.
The school shared in the community's grief over the loss of a beloved teacher.
shared grief over + the loss + of — collective mourning
- mourn a loss
- grieve a loss
- cope with a loss
- suffer a loss
- hear of a loss
- loss of a loved one
- bereavement
more formal; refers specifically to the state of having lost someone through death
- death
direct and factual; 'loss' is a gentler, euphemistic alternative
- passing
euphemistic and softer than 'death'; common in obituaries
Grammar Patterns
mourn + the loss + of + person
Usage Note
Often used in polite or formal expressions of sympathy (I was sorry to hear of your loss). Distinguish from sense 6 (LARGE-SCALE DEATHS), which refers to mass casualties during war or disaster rather than individual bereavement.
Common Mistakes
4. the financial condition of a company or organization when its spending exceeds t
the financial condition of a company or organization when its spending exceeds the money it earns over a set period of time.
The small bakery made a loss in its first year of operation.
make + a + loss — standard business phrase
The airline announced a net loss of two million dollars for the last quarter.
The cinema was forced to close after operating at a loss for several years.
operate + at + a + loss — key idiom in business English
Nia carefully calculated the potential loss before deciding whether to sell her shares.
- net loss
- heavy loss
- operating loss
- make a loss
- suffer a loss
- report a loss
- incur a loss
- at a loss
- loss of revenue
Grammar Patterns
make + a + loss
operate + at + a + loss
Usage Note
Commonly paired with verbs such as report, make, suffer, or incur, and with the preposition 'at' to describe continuous unprofitability (operating at a loss). A loss is the opposite of a profit.
Common Mistakes
5. the result of an individual player or a group failing to beat an opponent in a s
the result of an individual player or a group failing to beat an opponent in a sport or contest.
The team's fourth loss in a row left the fans feeling disappointed.
loss in a row — describing consecutive defeats
Tanvi was determined to learn from her loss and train harder for the next match.
The chess champion suffered his first loss in three years during the tournament.
Eitan accepted the loss gracefully and shook hands with the winner.
accept + a + loss — showing good sportsmanship
- suffer a loss
- heavy loss
- narrow loss
- first loss
- consecutive losses
- loss to
- admit defeat
Grammar Patterns
suffer + a + loss + to + opponent
Usage Note
Commonly used with suffer to indicate the outcome, or with accept/admit to describe the response. A loss is typically followed by 'to' naming the winner (a loss to the defending champions).
Common Mistakes
6. an occasion when many people die at once, especially soldiers in a war or civili
an occasion when many people die at once, especially soldiers in a war or civilians in a disaster.
The army suffered heavy losses during the battle for the coastal city.
heavy losses — standard military collocation
The earthquake resulted in a terrible loss of life across the affected region.
loss of life — formal phrase for deaths in a disaster
The commander reported no losses among the peacekeeping troops stationed nearby.
Yuna read a report on civilian losses caused by the months-long conflict.
- heavy losses
- light losses
- suffer losses
- inflict losses
- civilian losses
- military losses
- loss of life
- total losses
- casualties
includes both killed and wounded; more precise in military reporting
- fatalities
formal; refers only to deaths, not injuries
- toll
often used in 'death toll' to describe the total number of people killed in a single event
Grammar Patterns
suffer + losses
loss + of + life
Usage Note
Frequently used in military and news reporting contexts. 'Losses' in the plural refers to the number of people killed. 'Loss of life' is a more general formal expression used for any disaster, natural or human-caused. Distinguish from sense 3 (BEREAVEMENT), which refers to individual deaths with an emotional or personal dimension.
Common Mistakes
at a loss
idiomfeeling confused or uncertain about what to do or say, especially in a surprising or difficult situation.
Christopher was at a loss when the customer asked a technical question he had never heard before.
The teacher was at a loss to explain why all the students had scored so poorly on the test.
cut your losses
idiomto stop doing something that is failing or losing money, so that the situation does not get even worse.
After three months of falling sales, the owner decided to cut his losses and close the shop.
Tanvi knew the project would never work, so she cut her losses and moved on to a new idea.
be somebody's loss
idiomused to say that if someone does not take an opportunity, they are the ones who will miss out on a benefit.
If Quinn does not want to join the team, that is his loss — we will find someone else.
She decided not to come to the concert, and it was her loss because the band was amazing.
a loss of face
idioma situation in which someone loses the respect of other people or appears foolish, especially in a culture where reputation is important.
Refusing the invitation publicly would cause a loss of face for the visiting diplomat.
The manager accepted the mistake privately to avoid a loss of face in front of the staff.
loss of face
idiomWhen someone loses respect from others or feels embarrassed because of a mistake they made.
Mina's mistake in the presentation caused a serious loss of face.
Did Brian's public apology prevent a loss of face for the team?
Word family
Synonym discussion
Sense: noun/1
Loss is the broadest term, covering any situation where something you had is gone or reduced, whether by accident, choice, or natural causes ('The loss of his wallet ruined the trip'). Deprivation is stronger and implies that something important — such as freedom, food, or basic rights — was taken away unfairly or cruelly ('The prisoners suffered years of sensory deprivation'). Forfeiture is a legal or formal term: you lose property, rights, or money as a penalty for breaking rules or a contract ('Forfeiture of the deposit was written into the agreement'). Reduction is narrower — it only refers to a decrease in amount or degree, not the complete disappearance of something ('A reduction in staff did not solve the company's problems'). When speaking generally about things ceasing to be in your possession, loss is the natural choice; use deprivation for injustice, forfeiture for penalties, and reduction when something simply becomes smaller.
Common collocations
Etymology
Loss comes from Old English los, meaning 'ruin, destruction, or the act of losing.' It is related to the Old English verb leosan ('to lose'), which goes back to a Proto-Germanic root *leusaną. The word took on its modern meaning of 'failure to keep or possess' by the 13th century. The sense of 'defeat in a game' appeared in the early 1600s, and the financial meaning developed in the late 1700s with the rise of modern business accounting. The idiom 'at a loss' (meaning uncertain what to do) has been used since the 1500s.