What it means
A dead loss is something or someone that's plainly no good and not worth banking on. You sling it at broken gear, duff ideas, or people who are hopeless at the one thing they were meant to do. It's a sharp, dismissive British put-down for a total dud or write-off.
Usage examples
"The new printer is a dead loss, jams every other page and the helpline just puts you on hold."
"That umbrella was a dead loss, turned inside out the second the wind picked up."
"He's a dead loss in the kitchen, burnt water once if you can believe it."
"Nah, don't lend him your van, he's a dead loss behind the wheel."
"Bought that cheap charger off the market and it was a dead loss by teatime."
Where it comes from
This is established British English from the 19th century. It grew out of the older business and accounting sense of loss meaning money gone for good, with dead added to hammer home that it's complete and beyond recovery. From there it spread into everyday speech for anything utterly useless or hopeless.
Other ways to say it
Editors of this term
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