was lost

USAGE SUMMARY

"was lost" is a perfectly grammatical part of a sentence.
You could use it in many situations, such as in a report or a story to explain that something cannot be found. For example: "The camera was lost in the chaos of the crowd."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Time was lost.

The New Yorker

First period was lost.

The New York Times

My luggage was lost.

The New York Times

The day was lost".

The New York Times

I was lost.

The New York Times - Travel

Nothing was lost.

The New York Times

Nothing was lost, though.

The Economist

Not all was lost.

The New York Times

He was lost.

The New York Times

All progress was lost.

The New York Times

What was lost?

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Consider using synonyms like "went missing" or "could not be found" to vary your language and maintain reader engagement.

Common error

Avoid using "was lost" when the active voice is more appropriate and clear. For example, instead of saying "The game was lost by the team", say "The team lost the game".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "was lost" primarily functions as a passive verb construction, indicating that the subject of the sentence experienced a loss or became misplaced. Ludwig shows numerous examples where it describes the state of something being unrecoverable or someone becoming disoriented.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

56%

Science

18%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Wiki

3%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "was lost" is a versatile phrase primarily used to describe a state of being unrecoverable, misplaced, or disoriented. It functions as a passive verb construction and is grammatically correct, according to Ludwig AI. Its neutral register makes it appropriate for various contexts, particularly in news, media, and scientific writing. While the phrase is very common, writers should be mindful of opting for active voice constructions for clarity. As shown by Ludwig, the phrase is present in authoritative sources such as The New York Times and The Economist.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

could not be found

Focuses on the inability to locate something.

went missing

Emphasizes the action of disappearing or being absent.

became misplaced

Focuses on the action of becoming misplaced, rather than the state of being lost.

vanished completely

Indicates a sudden and total disappearance.

disappeared entirely

Highlights the complete disappearance of something.

was unrecoverable

Similar to 'irretrievable' but with a slightly different connotation.

was irretrievable

Stresses the impossibility of recovering something.

was no longer visible

Focuses specifically on the loss of sight.

became irretrievable

Emphasis on the action of becoming impossible to recover something.

slipped away

Conveys a sense of gradual disappearance or loss.

FAQs

How can I use "was lost" in a sentence?

You can use "was lost" to indicate that something or someone is no longer able to be found, like in the sentence "The key "was lost" during the move."

What are some alternatives to "was lost"?

Alternatives include "went missing", "disappeared", or "could not be found", depending on the specific context.

Is it correct to say "the opportunity was lost"?

Yes, "the opportunity "was lost"" is a grammatically correct and commonly used phrase to express that an opportunity is gone or missed.

What's the difference between "was lost" and "got lost"?

"Was lost" typically describes a state of being unrecoverable or misplaced, while "got lost" implies the action of becoming lost, often in the context of navigation or direction. Example: "The document "was lost"" versus "I "got lost" on the way here".