lone

adjective

ˈlōn 

1

a

: having no company : solitary

b

: preferring solitude

2

: only, sole

3

: situated by itself : isolated

loneness

ˈlōn-nəs 

noun

Synonyms of lone

• only
• one
• sole
• solitary

Choose the Right Synonym for lone

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 lone in a Sentence

the lone ripe apple in the entire bag

just one lone cow in the middle of the field

Recent Examples on the Web

Messina made the runoff by capitalizing on his status as the lone conservative in the race. — Ryan Gillespie, The Orlando Sentinel, 3 Nov. 2026

Julius Randle had 21 points and 11 rebounds against his former team for the Nets (1-6), who earned their lone victory Sunday at Indiana and made a good push for two in a row before faltering in the fourth. — Cbs New York Team, CBS News, 3 Nov. 2026

The development and usage of Edmonds and Punch were a big reason why Bamgboye opted to transfer to Fort Worth after his lone season in Lubbock. — Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 Nov. 2026

Bowen leads the Irish with 45 tackles, is tied for third with two pass breakups and returned his lone fumble recovery for a 15-yard touchdown in a Week 4 win at Purdue. — Michael Marot, Chicago Tribune, 2 Nov. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, short for alone

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing lone

• lone ranger
• lone star tick
• lone wolf
• plough a lone/lonely furrow

Rhymes for lone

• blown
• clone
• cone
• crone
• drone
• flown
• groan
• grown
• hone
• joan
• jone
• known

Kids Definition

lone

adjective

ˈlōn 

1

: having no company : solitary

a lone traveler

2

: situated by itself

a lone outpost