Medieval · insult · noun (also adjective)
Losel
LOH-zul /ˈloʊzəl/ (US), /ˈləʊzəl/ (UK)pronunciation given by a dictionary
First recorded1362
A worthless, good-for-nothing person; a scoundrel or wastrel. Built from 'losen', an old past participle of the verb 'to lose', so the root idea is 'one who is lost' — a ne'er-do-well.
Where it was first recorded
William Langland, Piers Plowman (A-text), Prologue, line 74 — the earliest citation in the first edition of the Oxford English Dictionary (NED, vol. VI, 1908)
Also spelled: losell, lozel, lozell, lossel
In its own time
And, losel, thou art worthy to be hang’d / That wilt not stay her tongue.
Today
Modern exampleHe spent the whole weekend on the sofa while we packed the van, the idle losel.
Harmless and theatrical — a playful, old-fashioned way to call someone a good-for-nothing.
Questions
What does losel mean?
A worthless, good-for-nothing person; a scoundrel or wastrel. Built from 'losen', an old past participle of the verb 'to lose', so the root idea is 'one who is lost' — a ne'er-do-well.
When was losel first used?
It is first recorded 1362 — William Langland, Piers Plowman (A-text), Prologue, line 74 — the earliest citation in the first edition of the Oxford English Dictionary (NED, vol. VI, 1908).
Can you still use losel today?
Harmless and theatrical — a playful, old-fashioned way to call someone a good-for-nothing.
Sources
- lorn (adj.) — entry mentioning losel — Etymonline (Online Etymology Dictionary)
- losel — Merriam-Webster
- A New English Dictionary on Historical Principles, vol. VI (L), 1908 — 'Losel' — Clarendon Press (via Internet Archive scan)
- losel — Wiktionary
- The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (The Winter's Tale) — Project Gutenberg
Checked 2026-09-30 · verdict: attested — found in the dictionaries and texts listed above