From Middle High German *verliesen*, from Old High German *firliosan*, combining the prefix *ver-* (away, amiss) and *liosan* (to lose), cognate with Old English *forleosan* and ultimately from Proto-Germanic *fralausijaną*. The modern form underwent sound changes that shortened and reshaped the stem vowel over centuries.

Germans use *verlieren* broadly — you can lose a match (*ein Spiel verlieren*), lose patience (*die Geduld verlieren*), or lose track of someone (*jemanden aus den Augen verlieren*, literally "lose someone from one's eyes"). That last idiom is a favourite in everyday speech and worth memorising as a set phrase. Note that the separable-prefix verb *gehen lassen* is NOT a synonym — *verlieren* implies an unintended or regretted loss.