Are you confused about the use of lose and loose? Read this piece:
lose
The word lose (pronounced /lu:z/) is a verb that means ‘to no longer have something or be in control of it’, e.g. a thing, feeling, time, game, etc. The past tense and past participle form is ‘lost’.
Examples:
- He predicted that they’ll lose the game even before it started.
- I don’t want to lose you, please stay with me.
- Digital Academy lost over a million naira last year.
- We told him the story and he’s losing his mind.
loose
This is pronounced as /lu:s/. It can be used as an adjective, a verb or a noun.
adjective: not held firmly together, not exact, sexually free
Examples:
- She wore loose clothing throughout the exercise.
- That’s quite a loose interpretation of the movie.
verb: to release, to make something loose, to relax one’s grip, to express oneself in an uncontrolled manner
The past tense and past participle form is ‘loosed’.
Examples:
- She loosed her hair as she walked through the crowd.
- Just loose the rope and free the goat.
noun: usually occurs in ‘on the loose’ (meaning ‘having escaped from somewhere or a confined place’) and ‘the loose’ (rugby: loose play).
Examples:
- Everyone got scared because the assailant was on the loose.
- He’ll perform well in the loose.
Now that you know…