Lose vs. Win: What's the Difference?
Edited by Harlon Moss || By Janet White || Updated on September 28, 2023
"Lose" means to be deprived of or cease to retain something, while "Win" means to achieve victory or success in a competition or conflict.
Key Differences
"Lose" and "Win" are antonyms in many contexts, representing opposite outcomes in various scenarios, primarily competitions.
When someone "loses", they don't achieve the desired outcome or top position. For instance, a team that scores fewer points than its opponent will lose the game. In contrast, "win" signifies triumph or success, marking the attainment of a goal or the betterment of rivals.
Beyond the context of competitions, "lose" can suggest misplacing or no longer possessing something, like when one says they lose their keys. On the other hand, "win" can extend to situations where one gains something beneficial, like winning a prize or someone's trust.
Emotionally, to "lose" often brings feelings of disappointment, while to "win" elicits joy and pride. Yet, in some contexts, to "lose" oneself can mean to become engrossed, whereas "winning" might refer to prevailing in challenges or life battles.
Summing it up, "lose" and "win" are contrasting terms, reflecting failure versus success, deprivation versus attainment, and generally negative versus positive outcomes.
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Comparison Chart
Definition
To be deprived of or cease to have/retain.
To achieve victory or success.
Contextual Usage
Failure, misplacing items, no longer possessing.
Triumph, gaining something, prevailing.
Grammatical Role
Typically a verb.
Mostly a verb, sometimes a noun (e.g., "a win").
Examples
Lose a game, lose one's way.
Win a race, win respect.
Related Expressions
Lose out, lose track.
Win over, win out.
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Lose and Win Definitions
Lose
To misplace or not be able to find.
I often lose my glasses.
Win
To be victorious in a contest or competition.
We trained hard to win the championship.
Lose
To fail to use or take advantage of.
Don't lose the opportunity.
Win
To achieve a position through competition or struggle.
She wants to win first place.
Lose
To be unsuccessful in retaining possession of; mislay
He's always losing his car keys.
Win
To achieve victory or finish first in a competition.
Lose
To be deprived of (something one has had)
Lost her art collection in the fire.
Lost her job.
Win
To achieve success in an effort or venture
Struggled to overcome the handicap and finally won.
Lose
To be left alone or desolate because of the death of
Lost his wife.
Win
To achieve victory or finish first in
Won the race.
Lose
To be unable to keep alive
A doctor who has lost very few patients.
Win
To receive as a prize or reward for performance
Won a gold medal.
Lose
To be unable to keep control or allegiance of
Lost his temper at the meeting.
Is losing supporters by changing his mind.
Win
To achieve or obtain by effort
Win concessions in negotiations.
Lose
To fail to win; fail in
Lost the game.
Lost the court case.
Win
To gain (respect or love, for example) by effort
Won their loyalty.
Lose
To fail to use or take advantage of
Don't lose a chance to improve your position.
Win
To make (one's way) with effort.
Lose
To fail to hear, see, or understand
We lost the plane in the fog. I lost her when she started speaking about thermodynamics.
Win
To reach with difficulty
The ship won a safe port.
Lose
To let (oneself) become unable to find the way.
Win
To take in battle; capture
Won the heights after a fierce attack.
Lose
To remove (oneself), as from everyday reality into a fantasy world.
Win
To succeed in gaining the affection or loyalty of (someone)
He wooed and won her.
Lose
To rid oneself of
Lost five pounds.
Win
To succeed in gaining the favor or support of; prevail on
Her eloquence won over the audience.
Lose
To consume aimlessly; waste
Lost a week in idle occupations.
Win
To discover and open (a vein or deposit) in mining.
Lose
To wander from or become ignorant of
Lose one's way.
Win
To extract from a mine or from mined ore.
Lose
To elude or outdistance
Lost their pursuers.
Win
A victory, especially in a competition.
Lose
To be outdistanced by
Chased the thieves but lost them.
Win
First place in a competition.
Lose
To become slow by (a specified amount of time). Used of a timepiece.
Win
An amount won or earned.
Lose
To cause or result in the loss of
Failure to reply to the advertisement lost her the job.
Win
To conquer, defeat.
Lose
To cause to be destroyed. Usually used in the passive
Both planes were lost in the crash.
Win
To reach some destination or object, despite difficulty or toil (now usually intransitive, with preposition or locative adverb).
Lose
To cause to be damned.
Win
(transitive) To triumph or achieve victory in (a game, a war, etc.).
Lose
To suffer loss
Investors who lost heavily on the firm's stock.
Win
(transitive) To gain (a prize) by succeeding in competition or contest.
To win the jackpot in a lottery;
To win a bottle of wine in a raffle
Lose
To be defeated
Our team lost in overtime.
Win
(transitive) To obtain (someone) by wooing; to make an ally or friend of (frequently with over).
Lose
To operate or run slow. Used of a timepiece.
Win
(intransitive) To achieve victory.
Who would win in a fight between an octopus and a dolphin?
Lose
(transitive) To cause (something) to cease to be in one's possession or capability due to unfortunate or unknown circumstances, events or reasons.
If you lose that ten-pound note, you'll be sorry.
He lost his hearing in the explosion.
She lost her position when the company was taken over.
Win
(intransitive) To have power, coercion or control.
Ever since the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, Bostonians now run as "One Boston." The terrorists did not win.
Lose
(transitive) To have (an organ) removed from one's body, especially by accident.
Johnny lost a tooth, but kept it for the tooth fairy.
He lost his spleen in a car wreck.
Win
(transitive) To obtain (something desired).
The company hopes to win an order from the government worth over 5 million dollars.
Lose
(transitive) To shed (weight).
I’ve lost five pounds this week.
Win
(transitive) To cause a victory for someone.
The success of the economic policies should win Mr. Smith the next elections.
The policy success should win the elections for Mr. Smith.
Lose
(transitive) To experience the death of (someone to whom one has an attachment, such as a relative or friend).
She lost all her sons in the war.
Win
To extract (ore, coal, etc.).
Lose
(transitive) To give or owe (money) after losing a bet.
Win
To defeat or surpass someone or something.
Lose
To be deprived of access to something.
Users who engage in disruptive behavior may lose their accounts.
Win
To dry by exposure to the wind.
Lose
To wander from; to miss, so as not to be able to find; to go astray from.
I lost my way in the forest.
Win
An individual victory.
Our first win of the season put us in high spirits.
Lose
(transitive) To fail to win (a game, competition, trial, etc).
We lost the football match.
You just lost The Game.
Win
(slang) A feat carried out successfully; a victorious achievement.
Lose
(transitive) To be unable to follow or trace (somebody or something) any longer.
The policeman lost the robber he was chasing.
Mission control lost the satellite as its signal died down.
Win
(obsolete) Gain; profit; income.
Lose
(transitive) To cause (somebody) to be unable to follow or trace one any longer.
We managed to lose our pursuers in the forest.
Win
(obsolete) Wealth; goods owned.
Lose
(transitive) To cease exhibiting; to overcome (a behavior or emotion).
Win
(Scotland) Pleasure; joy; delight.
Lose
To shed, remove, discard, or eliminate.
When we get into the building, please lose the hat.
Win
To gain by superiority in competition or contest; to obtain by victory over competitors or rivals; as, to win the prize in a gate; to win money; to win a battle, or to win a country.
Thy well-breathed horseImpels the flying car, and wins the course.
Lose
Of a clock, to run slower than expected.
My watch loses five minutes a week.
It's already 5:30? My watch must have lost a few minutes.
Win
To allure to kindness; to bring to compliance; to gain or obtain, as by solicitation or courtship.
Thy virtue wan me; with virtue preserve me.
She is a woman; therefore to be won.
Lose
(ditransitive) To cause (someone) the loss of something; to deprive of.
Win
To gain over to one's side or party; to obtain the favor, friendship, or support of; to render friendly or approving; as, to win an enemy; to win a jury.
Lose
To fail to catch with the mind or senses; to miss.
I lost a part of what he said.
Win
To come to by toil or effort; to reach; to overtake.
Even in the porch he him did win.
And when the stony path began,By which the naked peak they wan,Up flew the snowy ptarmigan.
Lose
(obsolete) Fame, renown; praise.
Win
To extract, as ore or coal.
Lose
To part with unintentionally or unwillingly, as by accident, misfortune, negligence, penalty, forfeit, etc.; to be deprived of; as, to lose money from one's purse or pocket, or in business or gaming; to lose an arm or a leg by amputation; to lose men in battle.
Fair Venus wept the sad disasterOf having lost her favorite dove.
Win
To gain the victory; to be successful; to triumph; to prevail.
Nor is it aught but justThat he, who in debate of truth hath won,should win in arms.
Lose
To cease to have; to possess no longer; to suffer diminution of; as, to lose one's relish for anything; to lose one's health.
If the salt hath lost his savor, wherewith shall it be salted?
Win
A victory (as in a race or other competition);
He was happy to get the win
Lose
Not to employ; to employ ineffectually; to throw away; to waste; to squander; as, to lose a day; to lose the benefits of instruction.
The unhappy have but hours, and these they lose.
Win
Something won (especially money)
Lose
To wander from; to miss, so as not to be able to and; to go astray from; as, to lose one's way.
He hath lost his fellows.
Win
Be the winner in a contest or competition; be victorious;
He won the Gold Medal in skating
Our home team won
Win the game
Lose
To ruin; to destroy; as destroy; as, the ship was lost on the ledge.
The woman that deliberates is lost.
Win
Win something through one's efforts;
I acquired a passing knowledge of Chinese
Gain an understanding of international finance
Lose
To be deprived of the view of; to cease to see or know the whereabouts of; as, he lost his companion in the crowd.
Like following life thro' creatures you dissect,You lose it in the moment you detect.
Win
Obtain advantages, such as points, etc.;
The home team was gaining ground
After defeating the Knicks, the Blazers pulled ahead of the Lakers in the battle for the number-one playoff berth in the Western Conference
Lose
To fail to obtain or enjoy; to fail to gain or win; hence, to fail to catch with the mind or senses; to miss; as, I lost a part of what he said.
He shall in no wise lose his reward.
I fought the battle bravely which I lost,And lost it but to Macedonians.
Win
Attain success or reach a desired goal;
The enterprise succeeded
We succeeded in getting tickets to the show
She struggled to overcome her handicap and won
Lose
To cause to part with; to deprive of.
How should you go about to lose him a wife he loves with so much passion?
Win
To gain as a result of one's efforts or actions.
He managed to win her trust.
Lose
To prevent from gaining or obtaining.
O false heart! thou hadst almost betrayed me to eternal flames, and lost me this glory.
In the excitement of such a discovery, many scholars lost their heads.
Win
To earn or receive as a prize.
They hope to win the lottery.
Lose
To suffer loss, disadvantage, or defeat; to be worse off, esp. as the result of any kind of contest.
We 'll . . . hear poor roguesTalk of court news; and we'll talk with them too,Who loses and who wins; who's in, who's out.
Win
To succeed or triumph over.
You can win any challenge with determination.
Lose
Fail to keep or to maintain; cease to have, either physically or in an abstract sense;
She lost her purse when she left it unattended on her seat
Lose
Fail to win;
We lost the battle but we won the war
Lose
Suffer the loss of a person through death or removal;
She lost her husband in the war
The couple that wanted to adopt the child lost her when the biological parents claimed her
Lose
Place (something) where one cannot find it again;
I misplaced my eyeglasses
Lose
Miss from one's possessions; lose sight of;
I've lost my glasses again!
Lose
Allow to go out of sight;
The detective lost the man he was shadowing after he had to stop at a red light
Lose
Fail to make money in a business; make a loss or fail to profit;
I lost thousands of dollars on that bad investment!
The company turned a loss after the first year
The company has not profited from the merger
Lose
Fail to get or obtain;
I lost the opportunity to spend a year abroad
Lose
Retreat
Lose
Fail to perceive or to catch with the senses or the mind;
I missed that remark
She missed his point
We lost part of what he said
Lose
Be set at a disadvantage;
This author really suffers in translation
Lose
To be defeated in a game or competition.
Our team might lose if we don't improve.
Lose
To no longer possess or retain.
If you don't eat, you'll lose weight.
Lose
To suffer the loss or deprivation of.
I don't want to lose you.
FAQs
Are "Lose" and "Win" direct opposites?
In many contexts, especially competitions, they are.
Does "Lose" always have a negative connotation?
Mostly, but not always. "Lose oneself" can be positive.
Can "Win" be used as a noun?
Yes, e.g., "That was a big win for us."
Can "Lose" mean misplacing something?
Yes, like losing keys or a wallet.
Is "Win" always about competitions?
No, it can be about gaining trust, love, etc.
How is "Lose" related to deprivation?
It means no longer possessing or retaining something.
Can "Lose" be used in positive contexts?
Rarely, but "losing oneself" in music is positive.
Can you "lose" intangible things?
Yes, like losing hope or confidence.
Can you "win" without a competition?
Yes, you can win someone's heart, for instance.
What's the opposite of "lose out"?
"Win out".
Can "Lose" mean to waste?
Yes, as in "lose time" or "lose an opportunity".
Is "Win" always active?
Mostly, but one can "win" a lottery passively.
Does "Win" imply effort?
Often, as victories typically require effort.
Is "Win" always about beating someone?
Not always, it can be about personal achievement.
Can "Lose" describe a decrease?
Yes, like losing weight or speed.
About Author
Written by
Janet WhiteJanet White has been an esteemed writer and blogger for Difference Wiki. Holding a Master's degree in Science and Medical Journalism from the prestigious Boston University, she has consistently demonstrated her expertise and passion for her field. When she's not immersed in her work, Janet relishes her time exercising, delving into a good book, and cherishing moments with friends and family.
Edited by
Harlon MossHarlon is a seasoned quality moderator and accomplished content writer for Difference Wiki. An alumnus of the prestigious University of California, he earned his degree in Computer Science. Leveraging his academic background, Harlon brings a meticulous and informed perspective to his work, ensuring content accuracy and excellence.
