loser

los-er · noun

imported

Definitions

noun

  1. 1.

    A person who has been defeated in a contest or competition.

  2. 2.

    (Informal, derogatory) A person who is generally unsuccessful or socially inept.

  3. 3.

    A person or thing that loses or suffers as a result of something.

Forms

plural: losers

Phrases & expressions

  • •
    born loser — Someone who seems destined to fail
  • •
    sore loser — Someone who reacts badly to losing
  • •
    good loser — Someone who accepts defeat gracefully
  • •
    two-time loser — Someone who has failed or been convicted twice

Related words

Antonyms: champion, victor, winner
See also: failure, lose, underdog, winner
Synonyms: also-ran, failure, underdog

Etymology

From English lose + agentive suffix -er. The informal derogatory sense developed in the late 20th century.