The kanji 失 primarily conveys the idea of "loss," "failure," or "to lose." It implies a state of being deprived of something, whether it be a physical object, an opportunity, a sense of control, or something else. It can also relate to making a mistake or committing an error.

・On-yomi (音読み): シツ (shitsu) ・Kun-yomi (訓読み): うしな（う） (ushina(u) - to lose)

⚫︎失敗（しっぱい） Translation: failure; mistake ⚫︎失礼（しつれい） Translation: rudeness; impoliteness; Excuse me; Goodbye ⚫︎損失（そんしつ） Translation: loss; damage; deficit

The kanji 失 is a phono-semantic compound (形声文字, keisei moji). The top part is 夫, which once represented a person (specifically, a strong man or husband). The bottom part is 人 (人) which represents people. Initially, the original form showed a person with an arrow beside. Over time it evolved to the current form. The meaning associated with the character shifted to mean "to lose," because a strong man might "lose" things due to errors or mistakes, such as losing an arrow.