lose the way Definition

lose
verb lost, losing

1a. To fail to keep or obtain something, especially because of a mistake, carelessness, etc;

Example: lost his money through a hole in his pocket
1b. To stop or begin to stop having (some distinguishing quality, characteristic or property);

Example: She was losing her nerve
Example: Despite everything, he hasn't lost his sense of humour
1c. To become less marked, noticeable, intense, etc in a specified way.

Example: These roses have lost their smell
2a. To misplace something, especially temporarily;

Example: I've lost the car keys
Thesaurus: misplace, mislay, forget; Antonym: find.
2b. To be unable to find something;
2c. To leave accidentally.

Example: I lost the umbrella at the cinema
3a. To suffer the loss of someone (usually a close friend or relative) through death;
3b. To suffer the loss of (an unborn baby) through miscarriage or stillbirth;
3c. To fail to save the life of (especially a patient);
3d. To be deprived of someone or something (life, possessions, etc), especially in a war, fire, natural disaster, etc;

Example: The village lost half its population in the earthquake
3e. To be killed or drowned, especially at sea.

Form: be lost
4. To fail to use or get something; to miss (an opportunity).

Thesaurus: miss, forfeit.
tr & intr
5a. To fail to win (a game, vote, proposal, election, battle, bet, etc);

Thesaurus: be defeated, fail, succumb; Antonym: win.
5b. To give away; to forfeit.

Example: lost £50 on the horses
6a. To be unable or no longer able to hear, see, understand, etc someone or something;

Example: Sorry, I lost what you said when that noisy bus went by
6b. To confuse or bewilder someone.

Example: Sorry, you've lost me there
7a. To escape or get away from someone or something;
7b. Said of a competitor in a race, etc: to leave (the rest of the field, etc) behind.
8. Said of a clock or watch: to become slow by (a specified amount).

Idiom: lose one's cool

colloq
To become upset.

Idiom: lose face

To be humiliated or discredited.

Idiom: lose one's grip (lose one's grip on something)

To be unable to control or understand things.

Idiom: lose ground

To slip back or behind.
Example: Major steadily lost ground in the opinion polls

Idiom: lose one's head

To become angry or irrational.

Idiom: lose heart

To become discouraged; to despair.

Idiom: lose one's heart (lose one's heart to someone)

To fall in love (with them).

Idiom: lose one's licence

To be disqualified from driving, usually for exceeding the limit of alcohol in the blood or for driving dangerously.

Idiom: lose one's marbles

slang
To go completely crazy.

Idiom: lose one's mind (lose one's reason)

To behave irrationally, especially temporarily.

Idiom: lose one's rag (lose the rag)

(rit)
colloq
To become very angry.

Idiom: lose sight of someone or something

To be unable or no longer able to see them or it.

To forget or ignore the importance of them or it.
Example: They lost sight of their original aims

Idiom: lose sleep over something

To worry about it or be preoccupied by it.

Idiom: lose one's temper

To become angry.

Idiom: lose one's touch

To forget how to do something; to be less proficient at doing something than one used to be.

Idiom: lose touch with someone or something

To no longer be in contact with them or it.

Idiom: lose track of someone or something

To fail to notice or monitor the passing or progress of them or it.

Idiom: lose one's voice

To be unable or hardly able to speak, especially due to having a sore throat, a cold or flu.

Idiom: lose one's way (lose the way)

To be unable or no longer able to tell where one is or in which direction one should be going; to stray from one's intended route by mistake.

Etymology: Anglo-Saxon losian to be lost.

Phrasal Verb: lose oneself in something

To have all of one's attention taken up by it.

Phrasal Verb: lose out

To suffer loss or be at a disadvantage.To fail to get something one wants.

Phrasal Verb: lose out on something

To fail to benefit from it.

Phrasal Verb: lose to someone

To be beaten by them.
Example: He lost to a more experienced player

Info:

A word often confused with this one is loose.

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way
noun ways

1a. A route, entrance or exit, etc that provides passage or access somewhere;

Thesaurus: road, trail, walk, highway (US), byway.
1b. The passage or access provided.
2. The route, road or direction taken for a particular journey.
3. A track or road.
4. Used in street names.

Form: Way
5. A direction of motion.

Example: a one-way street
Example: a two-way radio
6. An established position.

Example: the wrong way up
Example: the other way round
7. A distance in space or time.

Example: a little way ahead
8. One's district.

Example: if you're round our way
9. The route or path ahead; room to move or progress.
10. A means or method of doing something.

Thesaurus: means, method, mode, plan, technique, design, system, procedure, process, contrivance, step, idea, policy.
11. A distinctive manner or style.
12. Customs or rituals.

Form: ways
13. A characteristic piece of behaviour.
14. A habit or routine.
15. A typical pattern or course.

Example: It's always the way
16. A mental approach.

Example: different ways of looking at it
17. A respect.

Example: correct in some ways
18. An alternative course, possibility or choice, etc.
19. A state or condition.
20. Scale.
21. Progress; forward motion.

Example: made their way through the crowds
22. naut.
Headway; progress or motion through the water.
Example: made little way that day
23. engineering.
The machined surfaces of the top of a lathe bed on which the carriage slides.
Form: ways
24. engineering.
The framework of timbers on which a ship slides when being launched.

adverb

1. colloq
Far; a long way.
Example: met way back in the 60s

Idiom: across the way (over the way)

On or to the other side of something, eg a street.
Example: I just live across the way

Idiom: be on (get on one's way)

To make a start on a journey.

Idiom: by the way

Incidentally; let me mention while I remember.

Idiom: by way of ...

As a form or means of ....
Example: He grinned by way of apology

Idiom: by way of somewhere

By the route that passes through it.

Idiom: come someone's way

Said of an opportunity, etc: to become available to them, especially unexpectedly.

Idiom: divide something three ways (divide something four etc ways)

To divide it into three or four, etc parts.

Idiom: get one's own way (have one's own way)

To do, get or have what one wants, often as opposed to what others want.

Idiom: give way

To collapse or subside.

To fail or break down under pressure, etc.

To yield to persuasion or pressure.

Idiom: go all the way with someone (go the whole way with someone)

slang
To have sexual intercourse with them.

Idiom: go one's own way

To do or behave as one likes, especially in a manner different from others.

Idiom: go out of one's way

To make special efforts; to do more than is needed.

Idiom: go someone's way

Said eg of circumstances: to favour them.

Idiom: have a way with someone or something

To be good at dealing with them.

Idiom: have a way with one

colloq
To have an attractive manner.

Idiom: have it both ways

To benefit from two actions, situations or arguments, etc, each of which excludes the possibility or validity, etc of the others.

Idiom: have it one's way (have everything one's way, have everything one's own way)

To get one's way in something or everything, especially with disregard for the advice or opinions of others.

Idiom: in a bad way

colloq
In a poor or serious condition; unhealthy.

Idiom: in a big way

colloq
With enthusiasm; on a large or grandiose scale.

Idiom: in a way

From a certain viewpoint; to some extent.

Idiom: in its etc own way

As far as it etc goes; within limits.

Idiom: in no way

Not at all.

Idiom: in the way of something

In the nature of it.
Example: not much in the way of cash

Idiom: lead the way (show the way)

To act as a guide or inspiration to others.

Idiom: learn one's way around

To accustom oneself to one's new environment or duties, etc.

Idiom: look the other way

To ignore or pretend not to notice something.

Idiom: lose the way (lose one's way)

To leave one's intended or known route by mistake.

Idiom: make one's way

To go purposefully.

To progress or prosper.
Example: making her way in life

Idiom: make way for someone or something

To stand aside, or make room, for them or it.

To be replaced by them or it.

Idiom: no two ways about it

That's certain; no doubt about it.

Idiom: no way

slang
Absolutely not.

Idiom: on the way out

Becoming unfashionable.

Idiom: on the way to ...

Progressing towards ....
Example: well on the way to becoming a millionaire

Idiom: one way and another

Considering certain aspects or features, etc of something.
Example: It's been a good year, one way and another

Idiom: out of the way

Situated so as not to hinder or obstruct anyone.

Remote; in the middle of nowhere.

Idiom: pay one's way

To pay one's own debts and living expenses.

Idiom: put someone out of the way

To kill them.

Idiom: put someone in the way of something

To contrive to make it available to them.

Idiom: see one's way to doing something (see one's way clear to doing something)

To be able and willing to do it.

Idiom: that's the way!

A formula of encouragement or approval.

Idiom: the way (this way, that way)

The manner or tendency of a person's feelings or wishes, etc.
Example: Do you really want it this way?
Example: I didn't know you felt that way

Idiom: under way

In motion; progressing.

Etymology: Anglo-Saxon weg.