Lose touch

Meaning

The idiom "lose touch" has two meanings in contemporary language:

• To have no communication or connection with someone or something, often in a way that is deliberate or unintentional.
• To accidentally break or lose contact with someone or something, often resulting in disruption or inconvenience.

Usage

Here are five sentences using the idiom "lose touch":

• I lost touch with my friends from college after moving away. In this context, the meaning is that there was no communication between the speaker and their friends despite having been close previously.
• The company lost touch with its customers when it failed to respond to their complaints and feedback. In this case, the meaning is that there was a lack of engagement or interaction between the company and its customers.
• I accidentally lost touch with my phone while hiking, resulting in no communication for several hours. This usage refers to an unintentional loss of contact.
• The airline lost touch with its passengers during the flight, causing confusion and frustration. In this context, the meaning is that there was a breakdown in communication between the airline and its passengers.
• My grandfather lost touch with reality after his dementia progressed. This usage refers to losing touch in a metaphorical sense, where someone loses connection with reality.

Roots and History

The idiom "lose touch" has been in use since at least the 18th century. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the phrase first appeared in print in 1753 in "Ovid's Metamorphoses," where it was used to describe a character who had lost touch with reality. Over time, the meaning of the idiom has evolved to include both deliberate and unintentional loss of communication or contact. The phrase has also become more commonly used in everyday language, often used to describe situations where there is a lack of engagement or interaction between two parties.

Synonyms in English

• Disconnect from
• Lose track of
• Go offline
• Lose sight of
• Miscommunicate

Synonyms in other languages

Here are five synonyms for "lose touch" in different languages:

• French: Perdre contact - This idiom has a similar meaning to "lose touch" and is commonly used in everyday language.
• German: Abkopfen - This phrase refers to the loss of consciousness or fainting, which may be seen as a metaphorical form of losing touch.
• Spanish: Perder contacto - This idiom has a similar meaning to "lose touch" and is commonly used in everyday language.
• Italian: Persistere pericoloso - This phrase refers to the act of persisting despite danger or risk, which may be seen as losing touch with reality.
• Russian: Потерять связь - This idiom has a similar meaning to "lose touch" and is commonly used in everyday language.

Similar Idioms

• let sleeping dogs lie

• light years away

• lie low