be someone's to lose

verb

To be anticipated to be won by someone.

“Widely considered the favorite, the election is his to lose, but an upset is still possible if a scandal emerges.”

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Meanings

verbbe someone's to lose (third-person singular simple present is someone's to lose, present participle being someone's to lose, simple past was someone's to lose, past participle been someone's to lose)

present singular third person is someone's to lose · participle present being someone's to lose · past was someone's to lose · participle past been someone's to lose

  1. idiomaticTo be anticipated to be won by someone.

    Widely considered the favorite, the election is his to lose, but an upset is still possible if a scandal emerges.

    1 more example

    The debate continues around England's goalkeeping position with Everton's Jordan Pickford out injured but he has been Southgate's favoured keeper for some time so it still seems to be his position to lose if he is fit.

    2021 March 28, Phil McNulty, “Albania 0-2 England”, in BBC Sport
  2. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see be, someone's, to, lose.

    “Eventually,” Maddie continued, “my dad did lose everything, including money that wasn't his to lose. […]

    2014, Karen Foley, Hard to Hold (Harlequin Blaze), Harlequin, →ISBN, →LCCN, →OCLC, page 214
Cite this entry
APA

be someone's to lose. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/be%20someone's%20to%20lose

MLA

“be someone's to lose.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/be%20someone's%20to%20lose. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “be someone's to lose,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/be%20someone's%20to%20lose.

Source: be someone's to lose on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.