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lost

adj.
US //ˈɫɔst// UK //lˈɒst// lost
  1. 1 unable to find the way (adj.)
    A2 Elementary

    unable to find your way or not knowing where you are.

    unable to find the correct route or determine one's current location.

    Example

    We got lost in the narrow streets of the old town and had to ask for directions.

    Example

    The hikers became hopelessly lost after the dense fog obscured the trail markers, forcing them to camp overnight and wait for clearer weather.
    Pitfall
    I am lost since two hours.
    I have been lost for two hours.

    Use the present perfect with 'for' to describe a state that started in the past and continues now.

  2. 2 missing or misplaced (adj.)
    A2 Elementary

    something that cannot be found or is no longer with its owner.

    denoting an object that is missing, misplaced, or no longer in the possession of its owner.

    Example

    She put up posters around the neighbourhood to help find her lost cat.

    Example

    The museum managed to recover several lost artefacts that had been missing since the conflict in the late nineteenth century.
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  1. 3 wasted or not used (adj.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    time or an opportunity that was not used well and is now gone.

    referring to time, effort, or opportunities that have been wasted or allowed to pass without profit.

    Example

    I spent the whole afternoon playing games, so it was basically a lost day.

    Example

    The management regretted the lost opportunity to expand into the Asian market when their competitors were still relatively small.
  2. 4 deeply preoccupied (adj.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    giving so much attention to something that you do not notice anything else.

    fully absorbed or engrossed in a thought, activity, or emotion to the exclusion of external reality.

    Example

    He was so lost in his book that he didn't hear me enter the room.

    Example

    She sat by the window for hours, lost in thought as she contemplated the difficult decision she had to make regarding her career.

    Usage

    Often used with the preposition 'in'.
Origin

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.

Idioms11 entries

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