loser

 
Pronunciation: /ˈluːzə/

noun

  • a person or thing that loses or has lost something, especially a game or contest: he was the loser in last year’s race for governor
  • [with adjective] a person who accepts defeat with good or bad grace: they should concede that we won and be good losers
  • a person who is disadvantaged by a particular situation or course of action: children are the losers when politicians keep fiddling around with education
  • informal a person who fails frequently or is generally unsuccessful in life: a ragtag community of rejects and losers
  • Bridge a card that is expected to be part of a losing trick: South appeared to have three losers: a trump, a diamond, and a spade

Phrases

be on (or on to) a loser

informal be involved in a course of action that is bound to fail: you’re on to a loser if you try and tell them what to do