everything has been lost

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "everything has been lost" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to express a sense of total loss or failure in a situation, often conveying a feeling of despair or hopelessness. Example: "After the storm destroyed our home and belongings, it felt like everything has been lost."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

6 human-written examples

"I thought, probably not everything has been lost".

The New York Times

Everything has been lost to her: husband, family, freedom.

The New Yorker

When everything has been lost, he looks around his apartment, now wrecked, and tries to pick up the pieces of his record collection — his only tie to life with Loneese — and reads the titles: "I'm Gonna Pin a Medal on the Girl I Left Behind," "Ragtime Soldier Man," "Whose Little Heart Are You Breaking Now".

The New York Times - Books

This time around, we journey through an interminable recitation of where Little Miss Tidy might have tidied things away, pages and pages of it, until we reach the pay-off joke: the notebook she was given to note down where she'd put everything has been lost!

The Guardian - Books

In Joplin, Missouri, a community where everything has been lost in the prism of May 22, 2011, sometimes it is easy to overlook basic truths.

Huffington Post

"This transition from bacterium to mitochondria went so fast it could seem like everything has been lost in one shot," Burger says.

Genome Biology and Evolution

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

53 human-written examples

Scelli was afraid, believing that everything had been lost and that he too had become a hostage.

The New York Times

Mr. Pape, now 50, who recreated one of his urban cave paintings for the Los Angeles County Museum of Art's recent "Art in the Streets" exhibition, then heard that everything had been lost, and he visited the tunnel to survey what might be left of his work.

The New York Times

"I hope more people will continue to share this and make even small donations, as I am sure the goal I set is only a small fraction of the value of everything that has been lost," Urbani wrote.

The Guardian - Music

And it was one of those crazy moments where you say, 'Oh, my God, everything that has been lost to me can be recovered.' " What Ms. Lefevre remembered and missed was the kind of house we were sitting in, she is told.

The New York Times

Everything in the house has been lost including television sets and refrigerators," she told the BBC.

BBC

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use the phrase "everything has been lost" to emphasize the totality of a loss, whether it's tangible items, opportunities, or even abstract concepts like hope or faith.

Common error

Avoid using "everything has been lost" in casual conversations or informal writing, as it can sound overly dramatic. Opt for simpler and more direct language in those situations.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "everything has been lost" functions as a statement expressing a sense of complete loss or irreversible damage. Examples on Ludwig show it used in contexts ranging from personal tragedies to broader societal issues. Ludwig AI considers this phrase grammatically correct.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

70%

Science

15%

Formal & Business

15%

Less common in

Wiki

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "everything has been lost" is a grammatically sound and frequently used expression to convey a sense of total loss or failure. As Ludwig AI confirms, its usage spans diverse contexts, from personal tragedies to broader societal issues, predominantly appearing in News & Media. While semantically similar alternatives like "all is lost" exist, "everything has been lost" emphasizes the comprehensiveness of the loss. When employing this phrase, consider the potential for overdramatization in informal settings and strive for context-appropriate language.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

all is lost

This alternative is more concise and direct, conveying a similar sense of finality and hopelessness.

everything is gone

This alternative uses simpler language to express the same idea of total loss.

nothing remains

This alternative focuses on the absence of anything left, emphasizing the completeness of the loss.

all hope is gone

This alternative emphasizes the loss of hope as a consequence of the situation.

the situation is irrecoverable

This alternative focuses on the inability to recover from the loss, highlighting its permanence.

we've lost it all

This alternative conveys a personal sense of loss and devastation.

there's nothing left

This alternative emphasizes the emptiness and desolation resulting from the loss.

it's all over

This alternative is a more colloquial expression signifying the end of something, often with negative connotations.

the damage is irreversible

This alternative focuses on the permanent nature of the damage caused.

we are ruined

This alternative expresses a state of complete destruction or impoverishment.

FAQs

How can I use "everything has been lost" in a sentence?

You can use "everything has been lost" to express a sense of total loss or failure in a situation. For example, "After the fire, it seemed like "everything has been lost"".

What can I say instead of "everything has been lost"?

You can use alternatives like "all is lost", "everything is gone", or "nothing remains" depending on the context.

Which is correct, "everything has been lost" or "all is lost"?

Both "everything has been lost" and "all is lost" are grammatically correct and convey a similar meaning. The choice depends on the desired tone and emphasis.

What's the difference between "everything has been lost" and "something has been lost"?

"Everything has been lost" implies a complete and total loss, whereas "something has been lost" indicates that only a part of something is missing.