lost (redirected from being lost on)

'Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.

Prov. Love is such an important experience that even the pain of losing someone you love is better than not having loved that person. (A line from Alfred Lord Tennyson's poem, "In Memoriam A. H. H.") Tom: I've been so miserable since Nancy and I broke up. I wish I'd never met her. Fred: Come on, now—'tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.

See also: and, better, have, love, never

*lost in something

enveloped in something; engrossed in something. (*Typically: be ~; get ~.) Ed sat under the tree, lost in reverie. Excuse me. I didn't hear you. I was lost in my own thoughts.

*lost on someone

Fig. wasted on someone; not valued or appreciated by someone. (*Typically: be ~; get ~.) My jokes are lost on him. He is too literal. The humor of the situation was lost on Mary. She was too upset to see it.

almost lost it

Fig. to nearly lose one's temper, composure, or control, as out of anger. I was so mad, I almost lost it. When he saw the dent in his fender, he almost lost it.

See also: almost

For want of a nail the shoe was lost; for want of a shoe the horse was lost; and for want of a horse the man was lost.

Prov. Overlooking small details can have disastrous consequences. (You can quote any of the sentences in this proverb by themselves.) Jill: I don't think we need to check our bicycle tires before we go for our ride. Jane: I disagree. For want of a nail the shoe was lost. Before we began the hike into the mountains, we checked our equipment painstakingly, remembering that for want of a horse the man was lost.

See also: horse, nail, shoe, want, was

get lost 

1. to become lost; to lose one's way. We got lost on the way home. Follow the path, or you might get lost.

2. Inf. Go away!; Stop being an annoyance! (Always a command.) Stop bothering me. Get lost! Get lost! I don't need your help.

See also: get

He who hesitates is lost.

Prov. People should act decisively. Jill: Should I apply for that job? At first I thought I definitely should, but now I don't know.... Jane: She who hesitates is lost. Call that girl and ask her out. Call her right now. He who hesitates is lost.

See also: hesitate, who

lost and gone forever

lost; permanently lost. My poor doggy is lost and gone forever. My money fell out of my pocket and I am sure that it is lost and gone forever.

See also: and, forever, gone

lost cause

a futile attempt; a hopeless matter. Our campaign to have the new party on the ballot was a lost cause. Todd gave it up as a lost cause.

See also: cause

lost without someone or something

unable to function without someone or something. I am just lost without you. The engineer is lost without his pocket computer.

See also: without

lost-and-found

an office or department that handles items that someone has lost that have been found by someone else. The lost-and-found office had an enormous collection of umbrellas and four sets of false teeth! I found a book on the seat of the bus. I turned it in to the driver, who gave it to the lost-and-found office.

make up for lost time

to catch up; to go fast to balance a period of going slow or not moving. We drove as fast as we could, trying to make up for lost time. Hurry. We have to make up for lost time.

See also: make, time, up

there is no love lost (between someone and someone else)

There is no friendship wasted between someone and someone else (because they are enemies). Ever since their big argument, there has been no love lost between Tom and Bill. You can tell by the way that Jane is acting toward Ann that there is no love lost.

See also: love

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a lost cause

something or someone that has no chance of success I tried to stop the kids dropping their clothes on the floor, but finally decided it was a lost cause.

See also: cause

be lost for words

to be unable to speak because you are so surprised I was so amazed at what she'd said I found myself completely lost for words.

See also: word

Get lost!  (very informal)

something that you say when you are annoyed with someone or you want someone to go away Oh, get lost! I'm not in the mood for your jokes.

See also: get

like a lost soul

if someone is walking around a place like a lost soul, they are walking slowly without direction or purpose in a way that makes them look sad and lost I found him wandering aimlessly around the hall like a lost soul.

See also: like, soul

lost in the mists of time

if something is lost in the mists of time, everyone has forgotten it because it happened such a long time ago The true significance of these symbols has become lost in the mists of time.

See also: mist, time

lost in the shuffle  (American & Australian)

if something or someone gets lost in the shuffle, they do not get the attention that they deserve Refugee children in the big camps just get lost in the shuffle and are sometimes left without food.

See also: shuffle

make up for lost time

to spend a lot of time doing something because you did not have the opportunity to do it previously I didn't travel much as a young adult but I'm certainly making up for lost time now.

See also: make, time, up

no/little love lost between somebody

if there is no love lost between two people, they do not like each other There's no love lost between those two. They could never work together.

See also: love

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get lost (slang)

go away Those kids told the new girl to get lost.

Usage notes: sometimes used as an order: Get lost, Gary. We don't want you coming with us.

See also: get

lost for words

unable to think of something to say at a loss for words Chris was lost for words at Kathy's incredible rudeness.

Usage notes: usually said because something has surprised you

See also: word

lost in the shuffle

ignored or forgotten In conflicts between doctors and insurance companies, patients' needs may be lost in the shuffle.

Usage notes: often used in the form get lost in the shuffle: Maybe your name got lost in the shuffle when we typed the list.

Etymology: based on the idea of losing a playing card when the cards are shuffled (moved around)

See also: shuffle

lost in thought

not aware of what is happening around you because you are thinking about something else I didn't answer right away because I was lost in thought.

See also: thought

lost on you

not understood by you Civilization developed because ideas and technology were exchanged between cultures – a truth that is lost on many of us.

Usage notes: often used in the form not lost on someone (clearly understood by someone): Increased airport security is now a fact of life, something not lost on passengers who put up with long delays.

lost without somebody/something

unable to work in the usual way because something is not available I'm lost without my cell phone. I'd be lost without you, honey.

See also: without

make up for lost time

to do as much as possible that you were not able to do before Ms Wesley published her first novel when she was 70 and quickly made up for lost time by writing nine more.

See also: make, time, up

no love lost

no feelings of respect, admiration, or affection They had a curious relationship – there was no love lost there.

Usage notes: often used with between: There's no love lost between Morris and his publisher.

See also: love