lonely

1 of 2

adjective

lone·​ly ˈlōn-lē 

lonelier; loneliest

1

a

: being without company : lone

too many lonely nights at home

b

: cut off from others : solitary

The train stopped frequently at lonely little stations.

—Robert Hichens

2

: not frequented by human beings : desolate

a lonely spot in the woods

3

: sad from being alone : lonesome

He was feeling lonely without his wife and children.

4

: producing a feeling of bleakness or desolation

It's a lonely thing to be a champion.

—George Bernard Shaw

loneliness

ˈlōn-lē-nəs 

noun

loneliness

2 of 2

noun

lone·​li·​ness ˈlōnlēnə̇s 

-lin-

plural -es

1

a

: the fact or condition of being alone : isolation

had become frightened by the loneliness of her position in life

—Sherwood Anderson

the impersonality and loneliness of modern mass civilization

—C. B. Forcey

b

: a seclusion from others : a deliberately selected state of solitude : separateness

holding herself aloof in chosen loneliness

—P. E. More

2

: a remoteness from human habitation : bleakness, desolateness

the loneliness of the spot was set off by the unbroken snow around it

3

: a state of dejection or grief caused by the condition of being alone

felt so forlorn, so helpless, filled as she was with gnawing loneliness

—O. E. Rölvaag

often the artist has an aching sense of great loneliness

—J. R. Oppenheimer

Synonyms of lonely

Adjective

• lone
• solitary
• single
• alone
• solo

Choose the Right Synonym for lonely

alone, solitary, lonely, lonesome, lone, forlorn, desolate mean isolated from others.

alone stresses the objective fact of being by oneself with slighter notion of emotional involvement than most of the remaining terms.

everyone needs to be alone sometimes

solitary may indicate isolation as a chosen course

glorying in the calm of her solitary life

but more often it suggests sadness and a sense of loss.

left solitary by the death of his wife

lonely adds to solitary a suggestion of longing for companionship.

felt lonely and forsaken

lonesome heightens the suggestion of sadness and poignancy.

an only child often leads a lonesome life

lone may replace lonely or lonesome but typically is as objective as alone.

a lone robin pecking at the lawn

forlorn stresses dejection, woe, and listlessness at separation from one held dear.

a forlorn lost child

desolate implies inconsolable grief at loss or bereavement.

desolate after her brother's death

Examples of lonely in a Sentence

Adjective

He was lonely without his wife and children.

She was a lonely child with few friends.

It was lonely living out in the country.

She spent too many lonely nights at home.

She had a lonely childhood.

a lonely spot in the woods

a lonely stretch of road

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

The wealth tax has so far been a lonelier coalition driven by Regan, Khanna and Sanders. — Ben Paviour, Sacbee.com, 26 June 2026

To me, being a refugee meant being eternally lonely. — Ashoka, Forbes.com, 25 June 2026

But the often lonely nature of working from home can take a toll on mental health, according to new research from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. — The Week Us, TheWeek, 25 June 2026

Texts, screen grabs, recordings and other records recovered from a search of Rinderknecht’s cellphones and presented in court portrayed a man who was by turns lonely and livid, angry at billionaires and ex-romantic partners while seemingly scared about his own declining mental health. — Brittny Mejia, Los Angeles Times, 24 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

circa 1598, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing lonely

• it's lonely at the top
• lonely hearts
• plough a lone/lonely furrow

Rhymes for lonely

• only

Kids Definition

lonely

adjective

lone·​ly ˈlōn-lē 

lonelier; loneliest

1

: lone sense 1

2

: not visited by human beings : desolate

a lonely spot

3

: lonesome sense 1

feeling lonely

loneliness noun