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Jordi Jorge
at a loss (meaning)
I would like to know the meaning of "at a loss" in the following context.
I had a friend, a girl. One day I asked her to stop being friends. So she sent me a message saying:
"Only God will know who is at a loss here... hmm is it you who loses the potential of having a good friend or is it me ?"
What is "at a loss" expressing? I wonder if it is expressing something like "in trouble".
Aug 24, 2019 7:30 PM
Answers · 4
The phrase 'at a loss' is wrong here. She is using the phrase incorrectly. If somebody is 'at a loss', it means that they don't know what to do.
The right phrase would be, for example, 'who is the loser' in this situation: you or her.
August 24, 2019
Here It means that it’s not clear who lost something by stopping the friendship . :)
August 24, 2019
It means: ...who has lost here ...
As usual “to be at a loss” means “to be confused”
August 24, 2019
The correct meaning of "at a loss" is to have no idea. You try to gain an understanding, but fail. When you fail to gain understanding, you are at a loss. The thing you lose is your effort spent trying to gain understanding. The sentence you gave sounds like an incorrect usage. I think "who is losing" was intended.
August 24, 2019
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Jordi Jorge
Language Skills
English, Italian, Spanish
Learning Language
English
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