a complete lose

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "a complete lose" is not correct in written English.
It seems to be a misspelling of "a complete loss," which can be used to describe a situation where something is entirely lost or wasted. Example: "After the storm, the damage to the house was a complete loss, and we had to start over from scratch."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Science

Wiki

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

Secondly, the fourth sdw1 allele is a complete lose of HvGA20ox2 activity due to the deletion of HvGA20ox 2 gene in Riso no.

BMC Genomics

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

If you're not ready to complete lose this stuff, then put it in a box at least.

WikiHow

The assumption on demands during stock out periods cover complete lost sales, partial backordering, and full backlogging as special cases.

Computers & Mathematics with Applications

That shows the company hasn't completed lost the plot.

TechCrunch

Six items of the WHO TB treatment outcome registration (cured, treatment completed, lost to follow-up, treatment failed, died, and not evaluated) were used to report the final result of each participant.

Global Health Action

That seems inevitable, sooner or later, a fact not lost on Johnson after he pitched a complete game but lost, 3-2, thethe Angels on Saturday.

The New York Times

Yet neither the executive action taken three years ago nor today's renewed push ( to track guns lost or stolen in transit) will result in a complete tally of lost and stolen guns.

Vice

His next album, "Dark Horse" (1974), was criticized as preachy and whiny, and an American tour made matters worse: Mr. Harrison, not used to singing a complete concert set, lost his voice during rehearsals and was hoarse for the entire tour.

The New York Times - Arts

Dr. Dane's book is described as a "complete program for losing weight, boosting energy and being your best self," a "nutrition and lifestyle guide" that also depends on food formulas that properly balance carbohydrates, protein and fat.

The New York Times - Health

Watching the destruction from afar, Tom Glavine must have been reminded of a prior visit to the Metrodome, for Game 2 of the 1991 World Series, in which he pitched a complete game but lost, 3-2.

The New York Times - Sports

"We did have some disruption to Sprint SMS traffic earlier tonight, but it wasn't a complete disruption — we lost partial capacity for about an hour.

TechCrunch

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When aiming to describe something as entirely lost or ruined, use the correct and widely accepted phrase "a complete loss" or "a total loss".

Common error

Avoid using "lose" when you mean "loss". "Lose" is a verb (an action), while "loss" is a noun (a thing). For example, use "a complete loss" instead of "a complete lose".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a complete lose" is an incorrect adjectival phrase attempting to describe the extent of something being lost. As noted by Ludwig AI, it is a misspelling and should be "a complete loss". The example from Ludwig shows the intended usage in context.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Science

33%

News & Media

33%

Wiki

33%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Reference

0%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "a complete lose" is grammatically incorrect and should be replaced with "a complete loss". Ludwig AI correctly identifies this as a misspelling. Although examples exist, they do not validate the phrase's correctness. The intended meaning is to emphasize the totality of something being lost or ruined, and alternative phrases like "a total loss" or "an utter failure" can be used depending on the specific context.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

a total loss

Replaces "complete lose" with "total loss", emphasizing the extent of the loss.

a complete waste

Highlights the wasted potential or resources, rather than the act of losing.

an utter failure

Shifts the focus to the failure aspect rather than the loss, implying a lack of success.

irreparable damage

Focuses on the damage being beyond repair, implying a significant loss.

an absolute disaster

Conveys a sense of overwhelming failure and loss.

a total catastrophe

Emphasizes the severity and widespread impact of the loss.

a definitive defeat

Emphasizes the finality of losing.

a hopeless situation

Indicates that there's no chance of recovery or improvement.

a finished game

Implies that something is lost.

a closed case

Implies that something is over and cannot be fixed.

FAQs

What's the correct way to say "a complete lose"?

The correct phrase is "a complete loss". "Lose" is a verb, while "loss" is a noun. In this context, you need the noun.

What can I say instead of "a complete lose"?

You can use alternatives like "a total loss", "a complete waste", or "an utter failure" depending on the context.

Is "a complete lose" grammatically correct?

No, "a complete lose" is grammatically incorrect. The correct term is "a complete loss". The word "lose" is a verb, and "loss" is a noun. You need the noun in this case.

How to use "a complete loss" in a sentence?

You can use "a complete loss" to describe something that has been entirely ruined or wasted. For example: "The fire rendered the building a complete loss."