A long-lost person or thing is one you have not seen for a long time — often so long that meeting them again, or finding the thing again, feels like a small surprise. A long-lost friend is not just an old friend you still message. You lost touch. Years went by. You may even have wondered if you would ever see them again.

A long-lost person or thing is就是 for a long time很久 you have not seen沒見到的 one人或東西——often常常 so long久到 meeting them again再見到那個人，or finding the thing again或再找到那樣東西，feels like a small surprise感覺像一個小驚喜。A long-lost friend失散多年的朋友 is not just不只是 you still message你還在傳訊息的 an old friend老朋友。You lost touch你們斷了聯絡。Years went by好幾年過去了。You may even have wondered你甚至可能想過，if you would ever see them again這輩子還會不會再見到他們。

Families use it the same way: a long-lost cousin, a long-lost brother. You can also put it in front of objects: a long-lost letter, a long-lost photograph, a long-lost key — something that went missing and then turned up.

Families講家人時 use it the same way用法也一樣：a long-lost cousin失散多年的表親、a long-lost brother失散多年的兄弟。You can also你也可以 put it把它放 in front of objects在物品前面：a long-lost letter一封失落多年的信、a long-lost photograph一張失落多年的照片、a long-lost key一把失落多年的鑰匙——that went missing and then turned up不見了又冒出來的 something東西。

There is a little story-feeling in the word, warmer and more dramatic than missing or old. People sometimes stretch it for effect, even when the two people were never that close, because the phrase paints a picture. It almost always takes a hyphen, and it almost always sits in front of a noun.

in the word這個字裡 There is有 a little story-feeling一點故事感，than missing or old比 missing 或 old warmer and more dramatic更溫暖也更戲劇化。People sometimes人們有時 for effect為了效果 stretch it把它用得誇一點，even when the two people were never that close即使兩個人從來沒那麼熟，because the phrase paints a picture因為這個片語會畫出一幅畫面。It它 almost always幾乎都 takes a hyphen帶連字號，and it almost always sits也幾乎都放 in front of a noun在名詞前面。

It does not mean the person has died. It means they have been out of your life for a long time.

It does not mean它不是說 the person has died這個人已經過世。It means它是說 they他們 out of your life離開你的生活 for a long time很久了。