“Loose” vs. “Lose”

I have been running into loose to mean lose a lot lately. But loose and lose are not the same thing. Loose often is used as an adjective to mean “not rigidly fastened” or “not tight-fitting.” Lose (when confused with loose) often is a verb meaning “to miss” or “to suffer deprivation.”

When determining which word to use, I start with lose then consider whether the word I want to use refers to “extra space.” If that’s the case, I add an extra O so the word is now loose.

Correct examples: I need loose-fitting pants because I have gained weight during the holiday season. My skirt is loose because I lost weight after joining Weight Watchers.

Neither of the following examples is correct: I don’t intend to loose this game. I did not mean to loose my earrings. Neither of these sentences refers to anything extra. Rather, these examples mean loss. Lose the extra O. (Starting out with lose would have made these sentences correct.)

Correct sentences: I don’t intend to lose this game. I did not mean to lose my earrings.

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Notes:

1. Merriam-Webster, s.v. “loose,” accessed January 17, 2012, http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/loose.

2. Merriam-Webster, s.v. “lose,” accessed January 17, 2012, http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lose.