Loss is a common theme in language, often reflected through idioms that convey the emotions and situations associated with it. Understanding these idioms can enrich your communication, allowing you to express loss in various nuanced ways. Here are 20 idioms that describe loss, each with a short meaning and example sentence.
Idioms That Describe Loss
1. Lost Cause
Meaning: Something hopeless.
Example: “Saving the old building is a lost cause.”
2. Down the Drain
Meaning: Wasted effort or resources.
Example: “All our hard work went down the drain.”
3. A Dead End
Meaning: No future or progress.
Example: “The project hit a dead end.”
4. Fall by the Wayside
Meaning: Fail to continue.
Example: “Many plans fall by the wayside.”
5. Go Up in Smoke
Meaning: Disappear or be destroyed.
Example: “Our dreams went up in smoke.”
6. Lost in the Shuffle
Meaning: Overlooked or forgotten.
Example: “Her ideas got lost in the shuffle.”
7. Cry Over Spilled Milk
Meaning: Regret something that cannot be changed.
Example: “There’s no use crying over spilled milk.”
8. Throw in the Towel
Meaning: Give up or quit.
Example: “He decided to throw in the towel.”
9. A Bitter Pill to Swallow
Meaning: A difficult fact to accept.
Example: “Losing the game was a bitter pill to swallow.”
10. Gone with the Wind
Meaning: Disappeared without a trace.
Example: “All our savings are gone with the wind.”
11. Bark Up the Wrong Tree
Meaning: Pursue a mistaken course.
Example: “He’s barking up the wrong tree with that plan.”
12. Clutch at Straws
Meaning: Try unlikely means to find a solution.
Example: “She was clutching at straws to fix the issue.”
13. Burn Your Bridges
Meaning: Destroy one’s path, making return impossible.
Example: “He burned his bridges when he quit his job.”
14. Draw a Blank
Meaning: Fail to recall or find something.
Example: “I tried to remember her name but drew a blank.”
15. Hit Rock Bottom
Meaning: Reach the lowest point.
Example: “After the accident, he hit rock bottom.”
16. Miss the Boat
Meaning: Miss an opportunity.
Example: “He missed the boat on that investment.”
17. Bite the Dust
Meaning: Fail or be defeated.
Example: “Another one bites the dust in the competition.”
18. Back to Square One
Meaning: Return to the beginning.
Example: “After the failure, we are back to square one.”
19. In the Red
Meaning: In debt or losing money.
Example: “The company has been in the red for months.”
20. Take a Hit
Meaning: Suffer a setback.
Example: “Their reputation took a hit after the scandal.”
