Definition

1. Noun:
   • A person who is defeated in a competition or contest: A "loser" is someone who does not win in a game, sport, election, or other competitive situation.
   • A person who is habitually unsuccessful or fails frequently: This refers to someone who consistently does not achieve success in life, work, or relationships.
   • A person who suffers a loss, especially of money in gambling: Specifically, a gambler who loses a bet or money.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • In the tennis final, she was the loser, but she congratulated the winner graciously.
  • He felt like a loser after failing to get the promotion for the third time.
  • The casino was full of hopeful winners, but by midnight, most were losers.

Advanced Usage

• "Sore loser": A person who becomes upset, angry, or bitter after losing.
  • Don't be a sore loser; just shake hands and try again next time.
• "Born loser": A person who seems destined to fail or be unsuccessful (often used pejoratively).
  • He has such bad luck with jobs; some people call him a born loser.
• "Good loser" / "Graceful loser": A person who accepts defeat without complaint or bad sportsmanship.
  • Even though her team lost, she was a good loser and complimented the other team's skill.

Variants and Related Words

• Lose (verb): To fail to win, to be deprived of, or to cease to have.
  • I hope we don't lose the game.
• Loss (noun): The fact or process of losing something or someone.
  • The company reported a significant financial loss.
• Losing (adjective/noun): Failing to win; characterized by defeat.
  • The losing team left the field quietly.

Synonyms

• Defeated person: The vanquished, the defeated.
• Failure: Underachiever, also-ran.
• Victim (in specific contexts like gambling): Punter (who loses money).

Related Phrases

• "Loser pays": A principle, often in legal contexts, where the defeated party must pay the costs.
  • In some court systems, it's a "loser pays" rule for legal fees.
• "Finders keepers, losers weepers": A children's saying meaning that whoever finds a lost item can keep it, and the person who lost it has no claim.
  • He took my dropped pen and said, "Finders keepers, losers weepers!"

Related Idioms

• "To be on a losing streak": To experience a series of consecutive losses or failures.
  • Our soccer team is on a losing streak; we haven't won a match in two months.
• "Lose-lose situation": A circumstance where all possible outcomes are bad or result in a loss. (Note: This idiom uses the verb "lose," not the noun "loser," but is conceptually related).
  • If I tell the truth, I hurt her feelings; if I lie, I betray my principles. It's a lose-lose situation.

Noun

1. a gambler who loses a bet
2. a person with a record of failing; someone who loses consistently
3. a contestant who loses the contest