Verlierer

Verlierer is a German noun meaning “loser.” It denotes a person who loses in a contest, game, or competition, or who fails to achieve a desired outcome. The term is formed from perder (to lose) with the agentive suffix -er, and its feminine form is Verliererin.

In everyday language the word often carries a negative or critical connotation, but it can be descriptive without endorsement. It is commonly used in sports, elections, business, and social discussions to refer to someone who did not win. The term can be applied broadly, including to groups perceived as having suffered losses in various contexts.

In culture and media, Verlierer appears as a title or motif in German-language works such as films, literature, and songs. The use of the term as a title or theme often signals topics of failure, marginalization, or social critique and can be presented with irony or empathy depending on the work.

Linguistically, related terms include Gewinner (winner) and Niederlage (defeat). The word can also appear in expressions describing outcomes, such as der Verlierer der Wahl (the loser of the election). As a common noun, it is primarily used to describe outcomes rather than to brand a person, though tone and context determine whether it is neutral, critical, or sympathetic.