Lose or Loose?

Loose or Lose?

There is often confusion over the words loose and lose. This is due to the lack of consistency in pronouncing words that end oose and ose. For example, loose (LOOSS) rhymes with noose (NOOSS) but not choose (CHOOZ).

Lose

The word lose rhymes with snooze. It has the following meaning: Fail to keep (either physically or in an abstract sense), to misplace, fail to make money in a business:

• If I lose my glasses once more this week, I am going to glue them to my head.

• Terry had already lost one family member to the cult. He did not want to lose another.

• The surveillance team is likely to lose the target when he enters the park.

Fail to win:

• Back in 2002, our pub landlord bet £10,000 on Brazil to lose against Germany in the World Cup final.

• If you do not train during the week, you will lose on Saturday.

Loose

Loose, which rhymes with moose, is an adjective meaning not tight, not dense, or free from constraint. Less commonly, it can be used as a verb meaning to unleash (e.g., to loose plagues upon humanity). Examples:

• Watch your footing on this loose gravel.

• (not dense / not compact)

• Travellers are advised to wear a lightweight shirt that is lose fitting. This is important to allow air circulation.

• (should be loose fitting)

• There is a dangerous dog loose on the street.

• (free from constraint)