losings
LowFormal, Technical, Financial
Definition
Meaning
The amount of money that has been lost, especially through gambling or unsuccessful investments.
Can refer to any repeated or cumulative losses beyond financial contexts, though this is rare.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily a plural noun, used in contrast to "winnings." It often implies the result of a series of losing events rather than a single loss.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Usage is largely identical, though slightly more frequent in UK financial contexts.
Connotations
Strongly associated with gambling, betting, and financial speculation. Can carry a tone of regret or consequence.
Frequency
Rare in everyday speech. Much more common in specific domains like finance, gambling, or business reporting.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
offset (one's) losings with winningssustain heavy losingsreport net losings for the quarterVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Chalk up one's losings (to experience)”
- “Losings mount up”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
The hedge fund was forced to close after sustaining catastrophic losings.
Academic
The study analysed the psychological impact of cumulative gambling losings.
Everyday
He tried not to dwell on his losings at the races.
Technical
The algorithm was adjusted to minimise drawdowns and limit losings.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- His losings at the casino were quite high.
- Despite a few wins, her total losings from online trading were significant.
- The investor's paper losings were staggering, but he held the assets hoping for a market correction.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: "Losings" sounds like "losing things" repeatedly, ending with an 's' for plural money lost.
Conceptual Metaphor
LOSINGS ARE A HOLE (to dig oneself out of, to climb out of).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with "проигрыш" (a single loss/defeat). "Losings" is specifically cumulative financial/gambling loss. The closer direct translation is "убытки", "потери (денежные)".
Common Mistakes
- Using "losing" as a singular noun (e.g., 'a big losing'). 'Losing' is a verb form or adjective. The correct singular is 'a loss'.
- Using 'losings' in non-financial contexts is very rare and sounds odd (e.g., 'the team's losings').
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'losings' most appropriately used?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is a low-frequency word used almost exclusively in financial, gambling, or business contexts to specifically mean cumulative monetary losses.
'Loss' is a general, common singular noun for any kind of loss. 'Losings' is a rare plural noun specifically for money lost, especially through repeated events like gambling.
Only if you are writing about finance, economics, or gambling. In most other academic contexts, 'losses' is the correct and expected term.
No. 'Losing' is the present participle/gerund of the verb 'to lose' or an adjective (e.g., a losing team). The noun form for a singular instance is 'a loss'.