Both loss and lost have to do with losing. To lose something is to misplace it, to fail to win, to get rid of, or a number of other meanings.
To misplace something.
- He keeps losing his car keys.
To fail to win.
- The Lakers are losing the game right now.
To rid oneself of.
- I will be losing 10 pounds this year.
Although loss and lost both deal with the same subject, they perform different functions in a sentence.
What is the Difference Between Loss and Lost?
In this post, I will compare loss vs. lost. I will go over their functions and uses in a sentence, and I will use examples of each. Plus, at the end, I will give you an easy trick to remember the difference.
After reading this post, you won’t ever again wonder, “When do I use lost or loss?”
When to Use Loss
What does loss mean? Loss is a noun and is defined as the act or an instance of losing.
- That was an unexpected loss.
- The family suffered a terrible loss with the death of Jane.
If you sell something at a loss, you are selling it below cost.
When to Use Lost
What does lost mean? Lost is the past tense and past participle of lose. Since lost is a verb, you should expect to see it following a subject of some kind.
- She lost her car in the crowded parking lot.
Lost as an adjective. Lost can also function as an adjective in a sentence.
- The lost child.
- A lost opportunity.
- My basketball is lost
Examples
- Angels center fielder Mike Trout brought comfort — and gifts — to a South New Jersey family that lost its home to a fire with a surprise Christmas Eve visit. –L.A. Times
- Before the season, the Vikings lost two of their top players. –The Washington Post
- The Japanese conglomerate has been struggling with the aftermath of a major accounting scandal, compounded by troubles in nuclear energy and losses in the business that makes personal computers, TVs and consumer appliances. –Houston Chronicle
Trick to Remember the Difference
Here is a good trick to remember lost vs. loss. If you can remember this simple mental check, you will be all set.
Check one: Lost is the past tense of to lose. Lost and past tense both contain the letter “t.”
Summary
Is it lost or loss? Both words have to do with losing something, but they are different parts of speech.
Loss is a noun and refers to the act of losing.
Lost is the past tense and past participle of to lose.
Contents
- 1 What is the Difference Between Loss and Lost?
- 2 When to Use Loss
- 3 When to Use Lost
- 4 Examples
- 5 Trick to Remember the Difference
- 6 Summary
Since lost and loss are easily confused words and you might assume they are the same on accident, although they aren’t quite homophones. They both refer to the action of losing something; however, they come from different parts of speech in the common English language and have slightly different meanings.
The English word loss is a noun and is used to refer to the action of losing something or someone.
Lost is the past tense of lose or the past participle of lose.
Example sentences:
I took a terrible loss this year in the stock market due to the economic crisis. – Correct
I took a terrible lost this year in the stock market due to the economic crisis. – Incorrect
I lost my car keys somewhere between my car and the door in the garage. – Correct
I loss my car keys somewhere between my car and the door in the garage. – Incorrect
What Is the Definition of the Words Loss and Lost?
Loss means…
- detriment, disadvantage, or deprivation from failure to keep, have, or get:
- to bear the loss of a robbery.
- something that is lost:
- The painting was the greatest loss from the robbery.
- an amount or number lost:
- The loss of life increased each day.
- the state of being deprived of or of being without something that one has had:
- the loss of old friends.
- death, or the fact of being dead:
- to mourn the loss of a grandparent.
- the accidental or inadvertent losing of something dropped, misplaced, stolen, etc.:
- to discover the loss of a document.
- a losing by defeat; failure to win:
- the loss of a bet.
- failure to make good use of something, as time; waste.
- failure to preserve or maintain:
- loss of engine speed at high altitudes.
- destruction or ruin:
- the loss of a ship by fire.
- a thing or a number of related things that are lost or destroyed to some extent:
- Most buildings in the burned district were a total loss.
- Military.
- the losing of soldiers by death, capture, etc.
- Often losses. the number of soldiers so lost.
- Insurance. The occurrence of an event, as death or damage of property, for which the insurer makes indemnity under the terms of a policy.
- Electricity. a measure of the power lost in a system, as by conversion to heat, expressed as a relation between power input and power output, as the ratio of or difference between the two quantities.
Lost
- no longer possessed or retained:
- lost friends.
- no longer to be found:
- lost articles.
- having gone astray or missed the way; bewildered as to place, direction, etc.:
- lost children.
- not used to good purpose, as opportunities, time, or labor; wasted:
- a lost advantage.
- being something that someone has failed to win:
- a lost prize.
- ending in or attended with defeat:
- a lost battle.
- destroyed or ruined:
- lost ships.
- preoccupied; rapt:
- He seems lost in thought.
- distracted; distraught; desperate; hopeless:
- the lost look of a man trapped and afraid.
Examples of the Words in Context
- Those who were at 45 to 50 hours before are down to 24 to 32 hours per week, Cooper said, and he has not seen any extra hiring to make up the lost time.
- INFO ABOUT LOCAL POST OFFICE OPERATIONS IS CONFLICTING AND HARD TO COME BY|ASHLY MCGLONE AND KATE NUCCI|AUGUST 27, 2020|VOICE OF SAN DIEGO
- This feature will help sites that do not have more exposure or access to Google to hopefully rectify the issue faster and thus reduce any lost Google traffic due to a false positive security issue.
- GOOGLE TESTS REPORTING SECURITY ISSUE FALSE POSITIVES IN SEARCH CONSOLE|BARRY SCHWARTZ|AUGUST 26, 2020|SEARCH ENGINE LAND
- Federal regulators say much of the lost money came from people emptying their pockets for security scans.
- TRAVELERS LEFT NEARLY A MILLION DOLLARS AT AIRPORT CHECKPOINTS LAST YEAR|RACHEL SCHALLOM|AUGUST 22, 2020|FORTUNE
- Some Airbnb guests argued the refund process was complicated while hosts complained that the company didn’t do more to compensate them for their lost income.
- AIRBNB’S 3 BIGGEST CHALLENGES ON ITS ROAD TO AN IPO|DANIELLE ABRIL|AUGUST 20, 2020|FORTUNE
- “Nobody wants that, but we may not have a choice, and the lost time that could’ve been used to build up these systems will become really apparent,” she says.
- THE U.S. LARGELY WASTED TIME BOUGHT BY COVID-19 LOCKDOWNS. NOW WHAT?|JONATHAN LAMBERT|JULY 1, 2020|SCIENCE NEWS
- So in that sense we have gotten close to the families that have lost loved ones, be it from one side or the other.
- MEXICO’S PRIESTS ARE MARKED FOR MURDER|JASON MCGAHAN|JANUARY 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
- After four or five months of casual interaction, they realized they both had lost a young parent to cancer.
- EVERYONE AT THIS DINNER PARTY HAS LOST SOMEONE|SAMANTHA LEVINE|JANUARY 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
- He was not originally so uninhibited, however, as can now be seen in his “lost” novel, Skylight.
- THE LOST NOVEL OF NOBEL-WINNER JOSÉ SARAMAGO|CHARLES SHAFAIEH|JANUARY 5, 2015|DAILY BEAST
- “The origin of Brokpas is lost in antiquity,” a research article from the University of Delhi notes.
- THE HIMALAYAS’ HIDDEN ARYANS|NINA STROCHLIC|JANUARY 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
- He lost his bid for a fourth term to George Pataki that year.
- PRESIDENT CUOMO WOULD’VE BEEN A LION|JONATHAN ALTER|JANUARY 2, 2015|DAILY BEAST
- Hide it not for my help, for my honour, but tell me, Lest my time and thy time be lost days and confusion!
- POEMS BY THE WAY & LOVE IS ENOUGH|WILLIAM MORRIS
- Surely we thought we were lost before, when he threw the great rock, and washed our ship back to the shore.
- THE CHILDREN’S HOUR, VOLUME 3 (OF 10)|VARIOUS
- Paler and slighter than in the old days, she had lost none of her beauty.
- ONLY ONE LOVE, OR WHO WAS THE HEIR|CHARLES GARVICE
- The building is so far beyond any familiar proportions that at first sight all details are lost upon its broad front.
- AVE ROMA IMMORTALIS, VOL. 2|FRANCIS MARION CRAWFORD
- Helen did not answer, nor did she half realize the question, so lost was she in her own misery.
- KING MIDAS|UPTON SINCLAIR
Summary
Next time you need to use loss or lost in a sentence when speaking or writing you can rest assured that you know which is the correct word to use and also know all there is to know about both words and how to use them in English grammar.
Sources:
- https://www.voiceofsandiego.org/topics/government/info-about-local-post-office-operations-is-conflicting-and-hard-to-come-by/
- https://searchengineland.com/google-tests-reporting-security-issue-false-positives-in-search-console-339843
- http://www.gutenberg.org/files/4923/4923-h/4923-h.htm
- http://www.gutenberg.org/files/28600/28600-h/28600-h.htm
- http://www.gutenberg.org/files/35523/35523-h/35523-h.htm
- http://www.gutenberg.org/files/14752/14752-h/14752-h.htm
- http://www.gutenberg.org/files/15311/15311-h/15311-h.htm
- http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/01/02/trying-to-answer-the-great-cuomo-what-ifs.html?source=dictionary
- http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/01/03/the-himalayas-hidden-aryans.html?source=dictionary
- http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/01/05/the-constrained-lost-novel-by-nobel-winner-jos-saramago.html?source=dictionary
- https://www.sciencenews.org/article/coronavirus-covid-19-united-states-wasted-time-lockdowns-reopening
Kevin Miller is a growth marketer with an extensive background in Search Engine Optimization, paid acquisition and email marketing. He is also an online editor and writer based out of Los Angeles, CA. He studied at Georgetown University, worked at Google and became infatuated with English Grammar and for years has been diving into the language, demystifying the do’s and don’ts for all who share the same passion! He can be found online here.
The main difference between Loss and Lost is that Loss is a noun while Lost is a verb.
The meaning of loss is “an act of losing something.” On the other hand, the meaning of lost is “someone loses something or loses something”.
The noun loss refers to the process of losing someone or something; on the other hand, the verb lost is the past and past participle of lose. It means to be deprived of something or a state of not having something.
The noun lost is associated with all three forms present, past and future, while the verb lost is always associated with the past.
The word loss rhymes with “moss, boss”, etc.; on the other hand, the word lost rhymes with cost, tost, etc. The word loss ends in double ‘-ss’ while the word lost ends in ‘-st’.
Loss of words, it only works as a noun; on the contrary, it lost the function of both verb and adjective. The meaning of lost as an adjective is “unable to find the required path.”
The common phrase with loss is “lost”. It means confusion, perplexity and the like. On the other hand, common phrases with lost are “get lost, get lost.” “Getting lost” means leaving. This phrase expresses anger and impatience. “Lost” is used in context when someone is not noticed or appreciated.
Comparison chart
| Loss | Lost |
| The process of losing something or someone is loss | A state of not having something / Being deprived of something is lost |
| Parts of the sentence | |
| Noun | verb, adjective |
| To form | |
| Present | past, past participle |
| rhythmic words | |
| Moss, boss | cost, toast |
| Source | |
| From the Germanic term ‘the’. | From the Germanic term ‘the’. |
| alphabets | |
| Four | Four |
| Context | |
| Present past Future | Last |
What is loss?
Loss falls under the category of a noun in parts of speech. The meaning of loss is “an act of losing something.” It is the antonym of winning. It is used in the context of sports and athletic competitions. The origin of the word ‘loss’ goes back to the Germanic term ‘los’. It means destruction. Loss is related to the following meanings. It is an event or process of losing someone or something. The word loss also describes the death of someone. Loss also means “an amount of money or any other tangible thing lost.” It also means “any situation of loss”.
The function of the word loss is only as a noun. It is associated with the three forms present, past and future. The word loss rhymes with “moss, boss”, etc. The noun loss does not have many forms. It only changes in case you form its plural ‘losses’. the word loss ends in double ‘-ss’. Briefly, the noun loss refers to the process of losing something or someone. The common phrase with loss is “lost”. It means confusion, perplexity and the like. The word loss is always used in the context of any unfortunate event.
examples
- The departure of the school principal is a continuing loss for students and teachers.
- The result of higher taxes will be the loss of jobs.
- We must learn from our loss and not lose hope.
- He was lost when he found out about his father’s illness.
- The mother is very concerned about her four-year-old son’s loss of appetite.
What is lost?
The word lost falls into the category of verb and adjective in parts of speech. The meaning of lost is “someone loses something or loses something”. The antonym of lost is winning. This word is commonly seen in the context of sports and other competitions referring to unfortunate conditions.
The origin of the word ‘lost’ can be traced back to the Germanic term ‘los’. It means destruction. The verb lost is the past tense and past participle of the verb ‘to lose ‘. It means to be deprived of something or a state of not having something. The lost verb is always associated with the past. It is the past participle of the verb ‘to lose’.
The word lost rhymes with cost, tost, etc. It contains four letters. Ends in ‘-st’. As an adjective, the meaning of lost is “unable to find the required path.” There are sentences with the word lost. These phrases are “lost, lost” Lost means to go. This phrase expresses anger and impatience. Lost is used in context when someone is not noticed or appreciated.
Also, the word lost is an irregular verb. It means that it does not follow the conjugation rules of standard English. It is not conjugated by the simple pattern of -ed addition. Rather it follows a different conjugation path. That is “lose” for the present, “lose” for the past, and “I will lose” for the future. Lost can also relate to incompetence in coping, excluding something or something. Lost also implies being gone, dead, or bankrupt.
examples
- “ The US economy had lost two million jobs that year; no response from the government.” the new yorker
- My friend told me about a great gym where she lost 26 pounds after seven months of constant dieting and exercise.
- Finally, I found my lost car keys.
- The lost days of our childhood will never return.
- I lost the game with my brother last night.
Key differences
- The word lost is a noun, while the word lost is a verb.
- The meaning of loss is “an act of losing something” on the other hand; the meaning of lost is “someone loses something or loses something”.
- The noun loss refers to the process of losing someone or something; conversely, the verb lost is the past tense of lose. It means to be deprived of something or a state of not having something.
- The loss of the noun is associated with the present; on the other hand, the lost verb is associated with the past.
- Loss is used as a present, past, and future form, while lost is the past and past participle of “lose.”
- The word loss rhymes with “moss, boss”, etc.; on the contrary, the word lost rhymes with cost, tost, etc.
- The loss ends in double ‘-ss’; on the contrary, the lost word ends in ‘-st’.
- Loss only works as a noun; conversely, it lost functions as both a verb and an adjective.
- The common phrase with loss is “lost” on the other hand, the common phrases with lost are “lost, lost”.
Final Thought
Loss and lost are two different but similar worlds as their meaning has the same context. But both words are different in their part of using voice announcements. These words cannot be interchanged.
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Main Difference
The main difference between Loss and Lost is that Loss is a noun, whereas Lost is a verb.
Difference Between Loss and Lost
Loss vs. Lost
The word loss is a noun, whereas the word lost is a verb.
Loss vs. Lost
The meaning of loss is “an act of losing something” on the flip side; the meaning of lost is “someone loses something or loses at something.”
Loss vs. Lost
The noun loss refers to the procedure of losing someone or something; conversely, the verb lost is the past tense of lose. It means to be deprived of something or a state of ceasing to have something.
Loss vs. Lost
The noun loss is associated with the present; on the other hand, the verb lost is associated with the past.
Loss vs. Lost
Loss is used as present, past, and future form, while lost is the past and past participle of ‘lose.’
Loss vs. Lost
The word loss rhymes with “moss, boss,” etc.; contrarily, the word lost rhymes with cost, tost, etc.
Loss vs. Lost
The loss ends in double ‘-ss’; on the converse, the word lost ends in ‘-st.’
Loss vs. Lost
Loss only functions as a noun; inversely, lost functions as a verb as well as an adjective.
Loss vs. Lost
The common phrase with loss is “at a loss” on the other side, the common phrases with lost are “get lost, lost on.”
Lossnoun
an instance of losing, such as a defeat
The match ended in their first loss of the season.
Lostverb
simple past tense and past participle of lose
Lossnoun
The result of an alteration in a function or characteristic of the body, or of its previous integrity.
Loss of an arm ; loss of weight ; loss of cognitive functions ; loss of appetite.In other areas, glacier loss creates serious risk of a dry period across the Third Pole, Wang said. File:In other areas, glacier loss creates serious risk of a dry period across the Third Pole, Wang said.ogg
Lostadjective
Having wandered from, or unable to find, the way.
The children were soon lost in the forest.
Lossnoun
the hurtful condition of having lost something or someone, particularly in death.
We mourn his loss.
Lostadjective
In an unknown location; unable to be found.
Deep beneath the ocean, the Titanic was lost to the world.
Lossnoun
(in the plural) casualties, especially physically eliminated victims of violent conflict
The battle was won, but losses were great.
Lostadjective
Not perceptible to the senses; no longer visible.
an island lost in a fog; a person lost in a crowd
Lossnoun
(financial) the sum an entity loses on balance
The sum of expenditures and taxes minus total income is a loss, when this difference is positive.
Lostadjective
Parted with; no longer held or possessed.
a lost limb; lost honour
Lossnoun
destruction, ruin
It was a terrible crash: both cars were total losses
Lostadjective
Not employed or enjoyed; thrown away; employed ineffectually; wasted; squandered.
a lost day; a lost opportunity or benefit
Lossnoun
(engineering) electricity of kinetic power expended without doing useful work
The inefficiency of many old-fashioned power plants exceeds 60% loss before the subsequent losses during transport over the grid
Lostadjective
Ruined or destroyed, either physically or morally; past help or hope.
a ship lost at sea; a woman lost to virtue; a lost soul
Lossverb
(colloquial) lang=en
Lostadjective
Hardened beyond sensibility or recovery; alienated; insensible.
lost to shame; lost to all sense of honour
Lossnoun
the act of losing;
everyone expected him to win so his loss was a shock
Lostadjective
Occupied with, or under the influence of, something, so as not to notice external things.
to be lost in thought
Lossnoun
something that is lost;
the car was a total lossloss of livestock left the rancher bankrupt
Lostnoun
people who are destined to die soon;
the agony of the doomed was in his voice
Lossnoun
the amount by which the cost of a business exceeds its revenue;
the company operated at a loss last yearthe company operated in the red last year
Lostadjective
no longer in your possession or control; unable to be found or recovered;
a lost childlost friendshis lost booklost opportunities
Lossnoun
gradual decline in amount or activity;
weight lossa serious loss of business
Lostadjective
having lost your bearings; confused as to time or place or personal identity;
I frequently find myself disoriented when I come up out of the subwaythe anesthetic left her completely disoriented
Lossnoun
the disadvantage that results from losing something;
his loss of credibility led to his resignationlosing him is no great deprivation
Lostadjective
spiritually or physically doomed or destroyed;
lost soulsa lost generationa lost shipthe lost platoon
Lossnoun
military personnel lost by death or capture
Lostadjective
not gained or won;
a lost battlea lost prize
Lossnoun
the experience of losing a loved one;
he sympathized on the loss of their grandfather
Lostadjective
incapable of being recovered or regained;
his lost honor
Lossnoun
euphemistic expressions for death;
thousands mourned his passing
Lostadjective
not caught with the senses or the mind;
words lost in the din
Lostadjective
deeply absorbed in thought;
as distant and bemused as a professor listening to the prattling of his freshman classlost in thoughta preoccupied frown
Lostadjective
no longer known; irretrievable;
a forgotten arta lost artlost civilizations
Lostadjective
perplexed by many conflicting situations or statements; filled with bewilderment;
obviously bemused by his questionsbewildered and confuseda cloudy and confounded philosopherjust a mixed-up kidshe felt lost on the first day of school
Lostadjective
unable to function; without help
Comparison Chart
| Loss | Lost |
| Process of losing something or someone is loss | A state of ceasing to have something/ To be deprived of something is lost |
| Parts of Speech | |
| Noun | Verb, adjective |
| Form | |
| Present | Past, past participle |
| Rhyming Words | |
| Moss, boss | Cost, tost |
| Origin | |
| From Germanic term ‘los.’ | From Germanic term ‘los.’ |
| Alphabets | |
| Four | Four |
| Context | |
| Present, past, future | Past |
Loss vs. Lost
The meaning of loss is “an act of losing something.” On the other hand, the meaning of lost is “someone loses something or loses at something.”
The noun loss refers to the losing process of someone or something; on the flip side, the verb lost is the past and past participle of lose. It means to be deprived of something or a state of ceasing to have something.
The noun loss is associated with the three forms present, past, and future, while the verb lost is always associated with the past.
The word loss rhymes with “moss, boss,” etc.; on the other hand, the word lost rhymes with cost, tost, etc. The word loss ends in double ‘-ss’ whereas the word lost ends in ‘-st.’
Word loss, only functions as a noun; on the contrary, lost function as a verb as well as an adjective. The meaning of lost as an adjective is “unable to find the required way.”
The common phrase with loss is “at a loss.” It means confusion, puzzlement, and the like. On the flip side, the common phrases with lost are “get lost, lost on.” ‘Get lost’ means to go away. This phrase expresses anger and impatience. ‘Lost on’ is used in the context when someone fails to be noted or appreciated.
What is Loss?
The loss falls into the category of a noun in the parts of speech. The meaning of loss is “an act of losing something.” It is the antonym of win. It is used in the context of sports and athletic competitions. The origin of the word ‘loss’ dates back to a Germanic term ‘los.’ It means destruction. Loss relates to the following meanings. It is a fact or process of losing someone or something. The word loss also describes the death of someone. The loss also means “an amount of money or any other tangible thing lost.” It also means “any situation of losing.”
The function of the word loss is only as a noun. It is associated with the three form present, past, and future. The word loss rhymes with “moss, boss,” etc. The noun loss does not have many forms. It only changes in case when it forms it’s plural ‘losses.’ the word loss ends in double ‘-ss.’ Briefly, the noun loss refers to the process of losing something or someone. The common phrase with loss is “at a loss.” It means confusion, puzzlement, and the like. The word loss is always used in the context of any unfortunate event.
Examples
- The departure of the headmaster from the school is a ceasing loss for the students and teachers.
- The result of higher taxes will be the loss of jobs.
- We must learn from our loss and do not lose hope.
- He was at a loss when he heard about the ailment of her father.
- The mother is much worried about the loss of appetite of her four-year-old kid.
What is Lost?
The word lost falls into the category of the verb and adjective in parts of speech. The meaning of lost is “someone loses something or loses at something.” The antonym of lost is to win. This word is commonly seen in the context of sports and other competitions referring to unfortunate conditions.
The origin of the word ‘lost’ dates back to the Germanic term ‘los.’ It means destruction. The verb lost is the past tense and past participle of the verb ‘lose.’ It means to be deprived of something or a state of ceasing to have something. The verb lost is always associated with the past. It is the past participle of the verb ‘lose.’
The word lost rhymes with cost, tost, etc. It contains four letters. It ends in ‘-st.’ As an adjective, the meaning of lost is “unable to find the required way.” There are phrases with the word lost. These phrases are “lost on, get lost” Get lost means to go away. This phrase expresses anger and impatience. Lost is used in the context when someone fails to be noted or appreciated.
Also, the word lost is an irregular verb. It means that it does not follow the conjugation rules of standard English. It is not conjugated by the simple pattern of the addition of –ed. Rather it follows a different conjugation path. That is ‘lose’ for the present, ‘lost’ for the past, and ‘will lose’ for the future. Lost can also relate to incompetence to cope, excluding something or something. Lost also implies having gone or died or been ruined.
Examples
- “ The U.S. economy had lost two million jobs that year; without government response.” The New Yorker
- My friend told me about a very good gym where she lost 26 pounds after seven months of steady dieting and exercise.
- Finally, I found my lost car keys.
- The lost days of our childhood are never coming back.
- I lost the game with my brother last night.
Conclusion
Loss and lost are two different yet similar worlds as their meaning have the same context. But both the words are different in their part of speech ad usage. These words cannot be interchanged.
/ / Uncategorized
What’s the Difference Between Loss and Lost?
Contents
- 1 What’s the Difference Between Loss and Lost?
- 2 Using Loss in a Sentence
- 3 Using Lost in a Sentence
- 4 Remembering Loss vs. Lost
- 5 Outside Examples
- 6 Quiz: Loss vs. Lost
- 7 Article Summary
None of us enjoy losing, but we should be acquainted with the terms to describe it. Loss and lost are two such words.
While both of these words have to do with losing, they are different parts of speech that can never be interchanged.
Loss is a noun and refers to the act of losing.
- His departure from the team is a huge loss.
Lost is a verb and is used when someone loses something or loses at something.
- The Lakers lost the game last night.
Since a loss is the opposite of a win and to lose is the opposite of to win, you will naturally find these words used in the context of sports and athletic competitions, as many of our examples on this page have indicated.
Now, let’s go over a few ways you can use these words in your sentences.
Using Loss in a Sentence
When to use loss: Loss is used as a noun to refer to the act of losing.
For example,
- The loss of a few key players means the team will suffer.
- Higher taxes will result in job losses.
A loss might eliminate you from a competition if you are on a sports team.
If you are a business owner and you sell your good at a loss, you are selling them below cost.
Additionally, if you are at a loss, you are puzzled or uncertain of what to say. A common phrase is at a loss for words.
Using Lost in a Sentence
When to use lost: Lost is used as the past tense and past participle of the verb to lose.
For example,
- He missed the game-winning shot, so the team lost.
- After the crowd heckled the comedian, he lost his cool.
Lost is also an irregular verb, which means it doesn’t follow the standard English conjugation rules.
Most verbs are conjugated by adding ed to for the past tense.
For example,
- I play. (Present)
- I played. (Past)
- I will play. (Future)
Lost on the other hand, follows a slightly different conjugation path.
- I lose (Present)
- I lost (Past)
- I will lose (Future)
Lost as an adjective. Unlike loss, which can only function as a noun, lost can function as a verb and an adjective.
As an adjective, lost means unable to find one’s way.
For example,
- The lost child could not find his parents.
Remembering Loss vs. Lost
Now, what is an easy way to remember the difference between lost vs. loss?
Loss is a noun that ends in a double “ss,” similar to other nouns like moss and boss.
If you can mentally link the noun loss with other rhyming nouns like moss and boss, you won’t ever confuse the two again.
Outside Examples
- Pier 1 Imports Inc. (PIR) on Wednesday reported a loss of $3 million in its fiscal first quarter. –CNBC
- The coupling can separate from the drive shaft, causing loss of power or unintended movement when shifted into park. – Louis-Post Dispatch
- The Transportation Security Administration paid passengers $3 million over the last five years for claims that airport security screeners broke, lost or stole their luggage or items inside, according to a review of about 50,000 complaints. –Tallahassee Democrat
- The U.S. Park Police has lost track of a huge supply of handguns, rifles and shotguns, according to a report released Thursday on the law enforcement agency responsible for safeguarding the National Mall and critical American landmarks. –Fox News
Quiz: Loss vs. Lost
Select the correct word.
- Lebron James ______ the NBA finals two years in row.
- After the ______ of his wife, he struggled with depression.
- The couple ______ all of their belongings in the house fire.
- After weeks of searching, the ______ child was found.
- Years of economic decline in urban areas led to population ______.
See answers below.
Article Summary
Should I use loss or lost? Despite being just one letter apart in their spelling, these words have completely different functions within the sentence.
- Loss is a noun.
- Lost is primarily a verb, but it can also function as an adjective.
Answers from Quiz
- Lost.
- Loss.
- Lost.
- Lost.
- Loss.