losing
HighNeutral. Used across formal, informal, spoken, and written contexts.
Definition
Meaning
Failing to win or succeed; experiencing a defeat or failure.
In the process of being deprived of something; experiencing a reduction in quantity, quality, or advantage; ceasing to have.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
"Losing" is primarily the present participle and gerund form of the verb 'lose'. As an adjective, it describes a person, team, or situation that is experiencing or likely to experience defeat.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The verb form 'losing' has no major spelling or usage differences. Minor lexical differences exist in typical collocations (e.g., 'losing the plot' is more common in UK).
Connotations
Largely identical. 'Losing' a game/sport carries strong negative connotations in both cultures.
Frequency
Very high frequency in both varieties, with a slight increase in US sports commentary.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[S] + be + losing + [O] (We are losing the match).[S] + be + losing + [to] + [O] (They are losing to the champions).[S] + be + losing + [Adjunct] (She is losing at chess).Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “on a losing streak”
- “fight a losing battle”
- “losing the plot (BrE)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Used for declining market share, profits, or clients (e.g., 'The company is losing ground to its competitors').
Academic
Used in theoretical or analytical contexts (e.g., 'The argument is losing its logical coherence').
Everyday
Most common for games, sports, possessions, and personal attributes (e.g., 'I think I'm losing my keys').
Technical
In sports science, data analytics, or engineering to describe quantifiable declines (e.g., 'The system is losing efficiency').
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The team is losing quite badly at the moment.
- She's losing her touch with classical guitar.
- We're losing daylight; let's hurry.
American English
- The Bulls are losing by twenty points.
- He's losing his hair rapidly.
- I think we're losing the audience with this complex data.
adverb
British English
- (Not standard; 'losingly' is extremely rare and non-idiomatic. No natural UK example.)
American English
- (Not standard; 'losingly' is extremely rare and non-idiomatic. No natural US example.)
adjective
British English
- He gave a rather losing argument in the debate.
- The losing side conceded gracefully.
- It felt like a losing proposition from the start.
American English
- She was on the losing team for three seasons.
- He hated the feeling of being the losing pitcher.
- They offered a losing hand in the negotiations.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- My brother is losing the game.
- I am losing my pen.
- The blue team is losing.
- She is worried about losing her job.
- We are losing the match because our defence is weak.
- He is losing weight by exercising more.
- The government is rapidly losing public support over the policy.
- Despite their efforts, they are losing ground in the key demographic.
- I fear I am losing my ability to concentrate for long periods.
- The incumbent party is losing its grip on the urban electorate.
- By obsessing over minor details, we are losing sight of the strategic objective.
- The artist felt she was losing her creative impetus after years of commercial work.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of the double 'o' in 'losing' as two zeros on a scoreboard, representing a loss.
Conceptual Metaphor
LOSING IS A JOURNEY DOWNWARDS / LOSING IS A FORCE OPPOSING POSSESSION.
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid confusing 'losing' (проигрывать) with 'missing' (скучать по кому-то/чему-то).
- Do not use 'losing' to translate Russian 'терять' in the sense of 'misplacing' an object without the context of ongoing process; 'I am losing my keys' implies they are vanishing from my grasp now, not that I can't find them (for which you'd say 'I have lost my keys' or 'I can't find my keys').
Common Mistakes
- Misspelling as 'loosing' (which means 'releasing').
- Using 'losing' with prepositions incorrectly (e.g., 'losing *against' is less common than 'losing to').
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following sentences uses 'losing' INCORRECTLY?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
'Losing' is the present participle of 'lose' (to fail to win, to misplace). 'Loosing' is the present participle of 'loose' (to release or set free, e.g., loosing an arrow). They are often confused in spelling.
Yes, the gerund 'losing' functions as a noun (e.g., 'Losing is never pleasant'). It is not, however, a countable noun like 'a loss'.
Almost always. While 'losing weight' can be positive in context, the core process is still framed as a reduction or deprivation. It inherently implies a negative shift from a prior state of having or winning.
Learners sometimes pronounce it with a /z/ sound at the end (/ˈluːzɪŋɡ/) by analogy with words like 'singing'. The correct pronunciation ends with /ɪŋ/.
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