lost means having wandered from, or unable to find, the way. It carries an Arena rating of 1696, earned across 8 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, lost ranks #584 of 17,123 for Most Malleable Words, #3,335 of 17,111 for Most Sublime Words, #3,573 of 17,118 for Scariest Words, #6,764 of 17,113 for Most Elegant Words.
lost is pronounced /lɒst/.
Why “lost” is a great word
Having strayed from or being unable to find one's way; no longer present, visible, or attainable. From Middle English loste, losede (preterite) and lost, ilost (past participle), from Old English losode (preterite) and losod, ġelosod (past participle), equivalent to the verb 'lose' + the past participle suffix '-t'. Unlike 'misplaced,' which suggests a temporary, recoverable error of location, or 'vanished,' which implies a sudden and total disappearance, 'lost' describes a more profound and enduring state of absence or disorientation. It is the map disintegrating in your pocket, the path fading in the dusk, the name hovering just beyond memory—the quiet dissolution of presence into absence, and the stubborn hope that what cannot be found might still, somehow, exist.
Etymology
From Middle English loste, losede (preterite) and Middle English lost, ilost, ilosed (past participle), from Old English losode (preterite) and Old English losod, ġelosod, equivalent to lose + -t.
adj
- Having wandered from, or unable to find, the way.e.g.“The children were soon lost in the forest.”
- In an unknown location; unable to be found.e.g.“Deep beneath the ocean, the Titanic was lost to the world.”
- Not perceptible to the senses; no longer visible.e.g.“an island lost in a fog; a person lost in a crowd”
- Parted with; no longer held or possessed.e.g.“a lost limb; lost honour”
- Not employed or enjoyed; thrown away; employed ineffectually; wasted; squandered.e.g.“a lost day; a lost opportunity or benefit; no time should be lost”
- Ruined or destroyed, either physically or morally; past help or hope.e.g.“a ship lost at sea; a woman lost to virtue; a lost soul”
- Hardened beyond sensibility or recovery; alienated; insensible.e.g.“lost to shame; lost to all sense of honour”
- Occupied with, or under the influence of, something, so as not to notice external things.e.g.“to be lost in thought”
Words closest in meaning
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