Lose past tense: lost, lost
fail to keep, misplace
Lose is an irregular English verb: the past simple of lose is lost and the past participle is lost. Learn the three forms together — lose – lost – lost.
Verb forms
Base form
/luːz/
Past Simple
/lɒst/
Past Participle
/lɒst/
Press the speaker button to hear each form. The transcription under each word shows the British pronunciation (IPA).
Example sentences
Base form · lose
I always lose my keys when I'm in a hurry.
Past Simple · lost
They lost the match by a single point.
Past Participle · lost
He has lost ten kilos since January.
Key tenses
| Present Simple | Past Simple | Present Perfect |
|---|---|---|
I lose he / she / it loses | I lost | I have lost |
| Present Continuous:I am losing · he / she / it is losing | ||
Common collocations
lose weight
to become lighter
lose track
to stop being aware of something
lose your temper
to suddenly become angry
Grammar guide
Lose belongs to the ABB group: the past simple and the past participle are the same (lost). This is the largest group of irregular verbs — you only need to learn one past form.
- Past simple – lost: a finished action at a definite time in the past. It is used on its own, without an auxiliary.
- Past participle – lost: after have, has or had (present perfect, past perfect) and after be in the passive voice.
- Questions and negatives in the past simple use did + the base form: Did you lose…? I didn’t lose.
Quick quiz
Which sentence is correct?
Questions about lose
- What is the past simple of lose?
- The past simple of lose is lost.
- What is the past participle of lose?
- The past participle of lose is lost.
- What are the three forms of lose?
- The three forms are lose – lost – lost: base form, past simple and past participle.
- Is lose a regular or an irregular verb?
- Lose is irregular: its past simple is lost, not losed.