- [uncountable, countable, usually singular] the state of no longer having something or as much of something; the process that leads to this
- I want to report the loss of a package.
- Insure your instrument against loss or damage.
- weight loss
- hearing/memory loss
- (British English) We can help people with sight loss lead full and independent lives.
- The closure of the factory will lead to a number of job losses.
- When she died I was filled with a sense of loss.
- loss of something He suffered a loss of confidence.
- loss of earnings/income (= the money you do not earn because you are prevented from working)
- The loss of her job was a terrible blow.
Extra Examples- She suffered a significant loss of hearing after the operation.
- The knife hit an artery, causing significant blood loss.
- She could have died from shock or loss of blood.
- They form a barrier to prevent water loss.
- a gradual loss of hope
- loss of appetite
- the dramatic loss of farmland to urban growth
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- appreciable
- considerable
- significant
- …
- suffer
- cause
- prevent
- …
- loss of
- no great loss
- be at a loss
Definitions on the go
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- [countable] money that has been lost by a business or an organization
- The company has announced net losses of $1.5 million.
- The banks incurred huge losses.
- loss on something We made a loss on (= lost money on) the deal.
Extra ExamplesTopics Moneyb2, Businessb2- It took the company five years to recoup its losses.
- No bank would be willing to underwrite such a loss.
- The business sustained losses of €20 million.
- The company took a big loss of 28%.
- The fund may not be large enough to absorb these losses.
- We can offset the loss against next year's budget.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- catastrophic
- enormous
- heavy
- …
- incur
- make
- suffer
- …
- at a loss
- loss on
- [countable, uncountable] the death of a person
- He is mourning the loss of his wife.
- the tragic loss of a child
- Enemy troops suffered heavy losses.
- The drought caused widespread loss of life.
Extra Examples- Our country had sustained a tremendous loss of innocent life.
- The loss of his wife was a great blow to him.
- The family has suffered a terrible loss.
- the devastating losses of the war
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- enormous
- great
- terrible
- …
- suffer
- sustain
- take
- …
- loss to
- a sense of loss
- [singular] the disadvantage that is caused when somebody leaves, or when a useful or valuable object is taken away; a person who causes a disadvantage by leaving
- a loss to somebody/something Her departure is a big loss to the school.
- She will be a great loss to the company.
- She wouldn't be able to attend the lecture, which was no great loss.
- His death is a sad loss to all who knew him.
Extra Examples- His passing is a tremendous loss for all of us.
- Her death at such a young age was a terrible loss to the music world.
- [countable] a failure to win a contest
- Brazil’s 2–1 loss to Argentina
Word OriginOld English los ‘destruction’, of Germanic origin; related to Old Norse los ‘breaking up of the ranks of an army’ and loose; later probably a back-formation from lost, past participle of lose.
Idioms
See loss in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee loss in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic Englishat a loss
- not knowing what to say or do
- His comments left me at a loss for words.
- I'm at a loss what to do next.
- We are at a loss to understand his actions.
- in a way that loses you money
- We are now operating at a loss.
be somebody's loss
- used to say that if somebody chooses not to do something, they will not obtain a benefit they could have had
- If people can't appreciate how great this film is, it's their loss.
- I can see you don't trust me. Well, that's your loss
cut your losses
- to stop doing something that is not successful before the situation becomes even worse
- I decided to cut my losses and move back to England.
- He decided to cut his losses and sell the shares before they sank further.
loss of face
- the state of being less respected by other people or looking stupid because of something you have done
- Failure to pass the exams means a massive loss of face for the students and their parents.
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loss