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'Miss' means to fail to catch, hit or attend something; 'lose' means to no longer have something, or to be defeated.
Side-by-side comparison
"Miss" has two main uses: to fail to catch or reach something in time ("I missed the bus") or to feel the absence of someone or something ("I miss you").
I missed the bus this morning.
Do not miss this opportunity.
I miss you so much.
"Lose" is to fail to win a competition, to misplace an object, or to be deprived of something. "We lost the match" = we were defeated. "I've lost my keys" = I cannot find my keys.
Our team lost the game 2-0.
I lost my keys somewhere in the house.
He lost his job during the crisis.
Common mistake
- •"I lost the bus" is wrong: when something passes by without you or you arrive too late, use "miss".
- •"I missed the bus." For misplaced objects: "I lost my keys" (not "I missed my keys").
Trick to remember it
- •"Miss" = fail to catch something that passes by (bus, flight, opportunity) or feel someone's absence.
- •"Lose" = end up without something you had.
Quick rule
- •Did something pass by without you? "Miss".
- •Did you fail to win or no longer have something? "Lose".
Did you know?
"Miss" covers three situations that feel very different: failing to catch something ("miss the bus"), failing to hit or reach something ("miss the target") and feeling the absence of someone ("I miss you"). Context always shows which one is meant. The last sense is what gives "I miss you" its tenderness: it names the gap that a person leaves behind.
Practise what you learned
Exercise 1 · Pick the right one
Hurry! If we don't leave now we'll _____ the train.
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
I always _____ my phone when I have too many things in my bag.
Exercise 3 · Form the word
Related word pairs
One means to fail to keep something, the other means not tight.
"Above" is at a higher level without contact; "over" implies covering, movement, or crossing.
'Currently' means 'at the present time'; 'actually' means 'in reality', not 'nowadays'.
"Actually" corrects or contrasts an assumption; "really" intensifies or confirms.
Bryan López
Founder of SpeakUP Academy