To lose means to no longer have something you once had. You might lose your house keys, lose track of time while reading a good book, or lose a game of chess to a better player. The word describes that moment when something slips away from you, whether it's a physical object, a competition, or an opportunity.

Losing happens in many ways. Sometimes you lose things by accident, like when your favorite pencil falls out of your backpack somewhere between school and home. Sometimes you lose fairly in competition: the other team scored more points, the other runner crossed the finish line first, or your opponent played a smarter game. Sometimes you lose something more abstract, like losing your temper when you get frustrated, or losing confidence after a setback.

The opposite of lose is win in competitions, or find when talking about lost objects. People who lose a lot are sometimes called losers, though that word can sting when used to insult someone.

Notice that we say you lose to someone in competition, but you lose an object without needing “to.” You lose your homework, but you lose to your older sister in checkers.