lose out

English

Verb

lose out (third-person singular simple present loses out, present participle losing out, simple past and past participle lost out)

1. To be at a disadvantage.

   People who do not speak a second language find that they lose out when looking for a job.

   I think you will lose out on the exchange rate if you move to dollars now.

2. (with 'to') To be defeated (by).

   I went for a job interview, but I lost out to a younger guy.

   • 2011 October 23, Becky Ashton, “QPR 1 - 0 Chelsea”, in BBC Sport‎^[1]:

     Chelsea had two players sent off and lost out to a Heidar Helguson penalty in a heated west London derby.

   • 2020 April 8, Howard Johnston, “East-ended? When the ECML was at risk”, in Rail, page 67:

     The Western Region learned that it was to lose out on new stock deliveries, inheriting instead 110 part-second-hand dual-heated Mk 2a vehicles from the Eastern Region.

Usage notes

• Often lose out to another person or group.
• Often lose out on a specific benefit.

References

• “lose out”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.

Anagrams

• outsole