a loss

Meanings

1. 1phrasecountable

   a situation in which someone or something no longer has money, a thing, or an advantage.

   Grammar: Countable noun phrase; you can say 'a big loss' or 'losses'.

   Patterns

   • suffer a loss
   • make a loss
   • a loss of something

   The company reported a loss of two million dollars last year.

   After the fire, the family faced a serious loss of income.

   Selling the car at that price meant a loss for us.

2. 2phrasecountable

   the fact of no longer having someone because they have died or gone away.

   Grammar: Often used with 'of' plus the person: a loss of a friend.

   Patterns

   • the loss of someone
   • a painful loss

   She never got over the loss of her brother.

   His death was a great loss to the whole village.

3. 3phrasecountablesport

   a defeat in a game or competition.

   Grammar: Used in sports reports; opposite is 'a win'.

   Patterns

   • a loss to a team
   • suffer a loss

   The team's third loss of the season upset the fans.

   They suffered a heavy loss to their oldest rivals.

Common combinations

make a loss

The shop made a loss in its first year.

a heavy loss

The club suffered a heavy loss on Saturday.

at a loss

I was at a loss for words when she told me.

a loss of confidence

The scandal caused a loss of confidence in the bank.

a total loss

The flooded car was a total loss.

Synonyms and how they differ

defeat

Use 'defeat' for losing a battle or contest; 'loss' also covers money and people.

damage

'Damage' is physical harm to things, while 'loss' stresses that something is gone.

Opposites

Word family

lose verb

to no longer have something

lost adjective

no longer able to be found or had

loser noun

a person who is defeated

Commonly confused: a loss or lost? a loss or loose?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “a loss”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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