Idioms And Expressions With Lose
The following idioms and expressions are formed with the word lose. Each idiom is followed by its meaning / definition and example sentences.
Have a lot/too much to lose
When you have a lot to lose you are in a position where something bad might happen to you if you do not manage to do something successfully.
- At this point we don’t want to get involved in a controversy like this; we have a lot to lose.
Have nothing to lose
When you have nothing to lose you are in a position to try something because even if you fail, you are not going to lose anything.
- I had little chances of getting that job, nonetheless I applied for it. I had nothing to lose after all.
- Figuring they had nothing to lose, they decided to place a bid.
Lose the battle but win the war
When you lose the battle but win the war you fail to achieve a minor victory but at the same time succeed in achieving something much more important.
Lose face
To lose face is to fail to impress people because you are not in control of the situation.
- The government will lose face if they fail to pass this bill.
Lose ground
To lose ground is to fall into a position where your chances of success are slim.
- Our team was leading in the first half but lost ground in the second half.
Lose your head
To lose your head is to become so worried that you fail to think or act in a sensible way.
Don’t lose your head. Now is the time to act sensibly.
Lose heart
To lose heart is to become dejected.
- Although we knew that our chances of success were slim, we never lost heart.
Lose it
When you lose it, you suddenly become unable to think in a sensible way.
- I don’t know what happened to me, I just lost it.
Lose your marbles
To lose your marbles is to become crazy.
- She must have lost her marbles. Otherwise, why should anyone want to quit such a high-paying job?
Lose your nerve
To suddenly become too frightened to do something that you intended to do
Lose no time in doing something
To do something immediately
- She lost no time in calling the police.
Lose someone to something
If you lose someone to something such as a disease, they die as a result of it.
- She lost her father to cancer.
Lose your temper
To lose your temper is to become angry suddenly.
- He needs no reason to lose his temper.
Lose your touch
When you lose your touch, you become less successful at doing something.
- Has the maestro lost his touch? His latest album is not even half as good as his previous ones.
Lose touch (with something)
When you lose touch with something, you do not know the most recent information about it.
- I have been living in Britain for ten years, so I have somewhat lost touch with India.
