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loose ~ lose ~ loss

[slightly different vowel sound]

“Loose” (with a double ‘o’) as an adjective, means ‘not tight; not firm; not tied; not packed; not strict in morals; not under control; carefree behaviour’; and as a verb, it is ‘to let go something free; to free somebody or something without control’,  —  loose – loosed – loosed

e.g.

This trouser is too loose (wide) at the waist; I need a smaller size, please.  (opposite of tight)

The soldiers loosed their guns, and there were many civil casualties.  (opened fire; started shooting)

[The word “loosen” --  loosen  --  loosened  --  loosened  --  loosening – is a verb and it also gives the meaning ‘to make something or someone less firm or tight’, e.g. ‘You need a spanner to loosen this rusted bolt.’]

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“Lose” (with a single ‘o’) is a verb —  lose – lost – lost – losing, and it means ‘to come to be without something that one had before, through carelessness or by accident, etc.’,

e.g.

Isn’t it common to lose our children in such crowded places?

She has been trying hard to lose some body weight before her wedding, but without much success.

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“Loss” (noun) means ‘the fact of not having something, or having less or only some part of it than you used to have; (opposite of ‘profit’)’,

e.g.

He made a loss of $ 200,000 in his advertising business last year.

I am very sorry at the loss of your friend.  [i.e.  ‘the friend’ died]

Common Errors:

1.

People usually loose their belongings when they travel on crowded buses.  [wrong]

People usually lose their belongings when they travel on crowded buses.    [right]

2.

His trousers were so lose that we thought he wore his elder brother’s!      [wrong]

His trousers were so loose that we thought he wore his elder brother’s!    [right]

3.

This poor child loosed its parents in an accident.   [wrong]

This poor child lost its parents in an accident.        [right]

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