verliezers

Verliezers is the Dutch plural noun for people who have failed to achieve victory in a specific event or in life more generally. The singular form is verliezer and the verb verliezen means to lose. The term is widely used in sports, games, elections, and competitive contexts, but also in everyday speech to describe someone who has not succeeded in a task.

Etymology: Derived from verliezen; a verliezer denotes the person who loses. The word can be neutral in descriptive use, but it often carries pejorative associations, especially when used as an insult or label implying incompetence or moral weakness.

Usage and nuance: Verliezers can be used descriptively by reporters, by competitors after a defeat, or by opponents as a taunt. Because it can stigmatize, its use is frequently debated in discussions about sportsmanship, psychology, and social attitudes toward failure and resilience. Some people may reclaim the term in self-deprecating or ironic ways.

In literature and popular culture: The term appears in Dutch journalism, cartoons, and satire to illustrate defeat, underdog narratives, or ridicule of failure. It is contrasted with winnaars (winners) and mislukkelingen (failures) as part of a broader vocabulary that labels success and failure.

See also: Mislukkeling, Winnaar.