loner

noun

lon·​er ˈlō-nər 

1

: one that avoids others: such as

a

: a person who is often alone or likes to be alone : someone who usually avoids the company of others

He is a moody loner who doesn't become chummy with anyone.

—Sam Moses

Many rowers will agree that sculling is a sport for loners who relish the more quixotic elements of the sport.

—D. C. Churbuck

… she found that the image of the scientist as an antisocial loner is a myth …

—Warren E. Leary

b

: a typically solitary animal

Black bears are loners and usually wander by themselves in search of food.

—Mark Carwardine

Despite the fact they are loners, cats do have a well-organized social system based on scent marks and mutual avoidance.

—Fiona Sunquist

2

: individualist sense 1

Synonyms of loner

• maverick
• bohemian
• individualist
• eccentric

Examples of loner in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Shamaly has light brown skin, an irreverent sense of humor, and a loner’s mien. — Ta-Nehisi Coates, Vanity Fair, 15 June 2026

As Jaques, the melancholy loner, Jamie wore a long black duster and a black cowboy hat. — Jonathan Franzen, New Yorker, 1 June 2026

Widow’s Bay’s Sea Hag, by contrast, seems to be something of a loner. — Keith Phipps, Vulture, 15 June 2026

Vimes and Weatherwax are clever, wary loners who can’t stop themselves from doing what is right instead of what is easy. — Helen Lewis, The Atlantic, 24 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1947, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for loner

• donor
• kroner
• kronor
• owner
• stoner
• toner
• homeowner
• landowner
• shipowner

Kids Definition

loner

noun

lon·​er ˈlō-nər 

: one that avoids others

especially : individualist sense 1