lossy

L1O1S1S1Y4
UK/ˈlɒsi//ˈlɔsi/Atlantic Canada, US, cot caught merger/ˈlɑsi/New Zealand[ˈlɔ̟si]

adjective

Of a communication channel, subject to loss of signal strength.

“JPEG is a lossy image compression format.”

Opposite
lossless
Less commonScrabble 8
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Meanings

adjectivelossy (comparative lossier, superlative lossiest)

comparative lossier · superlative lossiest

  1. communicationsOf a communication channel, subject to loss of signal strength.
  2. businessOf an electricity transmission line, subject to various forms of power loss.
  3. computingOf an algorithm for converting or compressing data, reducing the amount of information in data.

    JPEG is a lossy image compression format.

Synonyms & antonyms

Opposite
lossless

adjectivecharacterized by or causing dissipation of energy

Opposite
lossless

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

From loss + -y.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 有信號損耗的 /有信号损耗的, 有功率損耗的 /有功率损耗的
  • 有信號損耗的 /有信号损耗的 (yǒu xìnhào sǔnhào de)subject to loss of signal strength
  • 有功率損耗的 /有功率损耗的 (yǒu gōnglǜ sǔnhào de)subject to various forms of power loss
  • 有損壓縮的 /有损压缩的 (yǒu sǔn yāsuō de)reducing the amount of information in data
Finnish häviöllinen, häviöllinen
  • häviöllinensubject to loss of signal strength
  • häviöllinensubject to various forms of power loss
  • häviöllinenreducing the amount of information in data
Greek απολεστικός, απωλειακός
  • απολεστικός (apolestikós)reducing the amount of information in data
  • απωλειακός (apoleiakós)reducing the amount of information in data
Hungarian veszteséges, veszteséggel járó
  • veszteségessubject to loss of signal strength
  • veszteséggel járósubject to loss of signal strength
  • veszteségessubject to various forms of power loss
  • veszteséggel járósubject to various forms of power loss
  • veszteségesreducing the amount of information in data
Japanese 非可逆
  • 非可逆 (hikagyaku)reducing the amount of information in data
Polish stratny, stratny
  • stratnysubject to loss of signal strength
  • stratnysubject to various forms of power loss
  • stratnyreducing the amount of information in data
Swedish destruktiv
  • destruktivreducing the amount of information in data

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with lossy

AussieglossypossesaucymossybossyGlauceploce
All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

lossy. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lossy

MLA

“lossy.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lossy. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “lossy,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lossy.

Source: lossy on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.