loser

noun

los·​er ˈlü-zər 

1

: a person or thing that loses especially consistently

The team had a reputation for being a loser year after year.

2

: a person who is incompetent or unable to succeed

Don't waste your time on that loser.

also : something doomed to fail or disappoint

his position is a loser politically

—Fred Barnes

Synonyms

• bomb
• bummer
• bust
• catastrophe
• clinker
• clunker
• debacle
• débâcle
• disaster
• dud
• failure
• fiasco
• fizzle
• flop
• frost
• lemon
• miss
• shipwreck
• turkey
• washout

Examples of loser in a Sentence

The team had a reputation for being a loser year after year.

The loser of the bet has to buy drinks for the winner.

Whoever benefits from the new government programs, the real loser will be the American taxpayer.

That guy is a born loser.

Recent Examples on the Web

Coaching hire winners and losers: In all, seven teams made leadership changes at the top. —Jim Reineking, USA TODAY, 18 Feb. 2025

No more participation trophies for Bill Plaschke! Los Angeles’ lovable loser nailed it by predicting the Eagles’ big win, ending his losing tradition that envied the Benoit Benjamin Clippers of the 1980s! —Los Angeles Times, 15 Feb. 2025

Health care reform always creates winners and losers. —Caitlin Owens, Axios, 14 Feb. 2025

However, Seder did say that potential tariffs makes picking winners and losers of a stronger-dollar era more complicated. —Jesse Pound, CNBC, 14 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1548, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing loser

• bad/poor loser
• good loser
• sore loser

Rhymes for loser

• boozer
• bruiser
• chooser
• cruiser
• user
• abuser
• accuser
• diffuser
• multiuser