hostage vs loser

hostage

noun
  • One who is compelled by something, especially something that poses a threat; one who is not free to choose their own course of action. 

  • The condition of being held as security or to compel someone else to act or not act in a particular way. 

  • Something that constrains one's actions because it is at risk. 

  • A person seized in order to compel another party to act (or refrain from acting) in a certain way, because of the threat of harm to the hostage. 

  • A person given as a pledge or security for the performance of the conditions of a treaty or similar agreement, such as to ensure the status of a vassal. 

verb
  • To hold (someone or something) hostage, especially in a way that constrains or controls the person or thing held, or in order to exchange for something else. 

  • To give (someone or something) as a hostage to (someone or something else). 

loser

noun
  • A contemptible or unfashionable person. 

  • A person convicted of a crime, especially more than once. 

  • One who or that which loses something, such as extra weight, car keys, etc. 

  • A person who is frequently unsuccessful in life. 

  • A person who loses; one who fails to win or thrive. 

  • A losing proposition, one that is likely to lose or already has lost (such as a losing bet or, analogously, a predictably fruitless task or errand). 

  • Something of poor quality. 

How often have the words hostage and loser occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )