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Synonyms

lost soul

American  
[lawst sohl, lost] / ˈlɔst ˈsoʊl, ˈlɒst /

noun

  1. a person who seems to lack direction or a sense of belonging in life.

    He was described as a "lost soul" who was estranged from his family and fell into crime.

    The film focuses on four lost souls: a disgraced TV anchor, a rebellious teen, an isolated single mom, and a self-absorbed music nerd.

  2. a person on the way to hell or perdition.

    Their preaching focused on bringing lost souls to repentance through God's love.

  3. the damned soul or restless spirit of a dead person.

    Ghosts are spirits who cannot reincarnate again, and are miserable lost souls.


Etymology

Origin of lost soul

First recorded in 1640–50

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

He strikes up an unlikely bond with Israeli passenger Amir, a lost soul in his early 20s played by Ido Tako, which leads Hassan to reflect on roads not taken in his own life.

From Barron's

You don’t want to end up like this lost soul, lugging his giant gambles through the hellscape of his own mind:

From The Wall Street Journal

“They look like something out of a Cervantes novel…they have this lost soul thing.”

From The Wall Street Journal

He was described in court as a "lost soul" and an "eccentric fantasist" who believed he could manage Arsenal football club or even England.

From BBC

He was rescued by Louise Wilson, of Conservation K9 Consultancy in Wrexham, at eight months old when he was a "lost soul" struggling to find a home.

From BBC