Grammar Clinic: The REAL difference between LOSE and LOOSE

There is often confusion over the words loose and lose.

Lose refers to a loss. It means to fail to keep (either physically or in an abstract sense), to misplace or fail to make money in a business. I can lose my keys, or lose a game of tennis, or lose my mind; or lose potential revenue.

The word “loser” is a slang for a misfit, especially someone who has seldom been successful at a job, personal relationship, etc.

Loose, on the other hand, is the opposite of tight. It is an adjective meaning not tight, not dense, or free from constraint. Less commonly, it can be used as a verb meaning to unleash

For example, the screws were loose so the chair fell apart when Humpty Dumpty sat on it. The word “Loose” is sometimes also used to denote moral decadence (as in loose character).