At a loss Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com

What does at a loss mean?

At a loss means at a sale price lower than what something cost. At a loss can also mean to not know what to do or to not know what to say.

If a person or store sells something at a loss, it means the amount they sold it for was less than what they bought it for. You will lose money if you sell something at a loss. For example, if you buy a TV for $300 and sell it for $200, you sold it at a loss of $100.

• Used in a sentence: This food expires tomorrow, so I am going to have to sell it at a loss before it’s worthless. 

If someone is at a loss, they don’t know what to do. They are so stricken by confusion or uncertainty that they can’t think of anything to do.

• Used in a sentence: When the bus left without him, Angelo was at a loss as to how he was supposed to get home. 

Similarly, if someone is at a loss for words, they can’t or are unable to think of anything to say. This may be a result of a person being so shocked or astonished that their brain can’t concentrate enough to form words.

• Used in a sentence: I was at a loss for words when my wife told me she was pregnant.