What are the same expressions with "lose out"?

Ask specific questions about your target languages. Beginner questions welcome!
lovehhi
Posts: 3
Joined: Mon Jun 27, 2022 12:04 pm
Languages: Korean(N),English(B2)
x 1

What are the same expressions with "lose out"?

Postby lovehhi » Sat Aug 27, 2022 1:49 pm

In the sentence "He hates to feel like he's losing out", can we replace "losing out" with "suffering a disadvantage" or "failing to receive an expected gain"?
1 x

User avatar
luke
Brown Belt
Posts: 1243
Joined: Fri Aug 07, 2015 9:09 pm
Languages: English (N). Spanish (intermediate), Esperanto (B1), French (intermediate but rusting)
Language Log: https://forum.language-learners.org/vie ... 15&t=16948
x 3631

Re: What are the same expressions with "lose out"?

Postby luke » Sat Aug 27, 2022 7:45 pm

lovehhi wrote:In the sentence "He hates to feel like he's losing out", can we replace "losing out" with "suffering a disadvantage" or "failing to receive an expected gain"?

Yes, but "losing out" is the colloquial and more natural way to express the two alternatives you offer.

If I don't go to office party tonight, I might lose out on that supervisory position I've been eyeing. (I've been eyeing = I've been wanting to get or I've had my eye on).

Note: You can think of "lose out" as a little more severe result than "miss out". "Lose out" has the implicit "contest" or "competition" aspect to it. That's why my example with getting a "supervisory position" is good. Only one person will get that position. Everyone else will "lose out".

I mention "miss out" because it's a similar construction with a similar meaning. Just as an example, "I don't want to get to the party late. I might miss out on the pizza". (It will already have been eaten by the time I get to the party if I'm late).
4 x
: 124 / 124 Cien años de soledad 20x
: 5479 / 5500 5500 pages - Reading
: 51 / 55 FSI Basic Spanish 3x
: 309 / 506 Camino a Macondo

User avatar
leosmith
Brown Belt
Posts: 1341
Joined: Thu Sep 29, 2016 10:06 pm
Location: Seattle
Languages: English (N)
Spanish (adv)
French (int)
German (int)
Japanese (int)
Korean (int)
Mandarin (int)
Portuguese (int)
Russian (int)
Swahili (int)
Tagalog (int)
Thai (int)
x 3104
Contact:

Re: What are the same expressions with "lose out"?

Postby leosmith » Sun Aug 28, 2022 2:22 am

lovehhi wrote:In the sentence "He hates to feel like he's losing out", can we replace "losing out" with "suffering a disadvantage" or "failing to receive an expected gain"?

"Suffering a disadvantage" doesn't work, but "failing to receive an expected gain" does. "Missing out" (per Luke) or "missing/failing to take advantage of an opportunity" both work.
1 x
https://languagecrush.com/reading - try our free multi-language reading tool


Return to “Practical Questions and Advice”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 2 guests