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