lonely

adjective

lone·ly | \ ˈlōn-lē

lonelier; loneliest

Definition of lonely

1a : 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— G. B. Shaw

Other Words from lonely Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about lonely

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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

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

Video poker is the game on the top of the bar at the loneliest diner in America. — Stephen A. Crockett Jr., The Root, "Floyd Mayweather Jr. Won $100,000 Video-Poker Jackpot, Proving That Life Is Unfair," 15 May 2018 Hearing that the local mall Santa was lonely, Jessica Barber, center front, and her coworkers went to visit him. — Jennifer Levitz, WSJ, "Sad Santas Confront Empty Malls: ‘Do I Have Something in My Beard?’," 17 Dec. 2018 But staying silent or delaying communication with a person who went through a mastectomy or is in recovery can feel lonely on the other end. — Sara Altschule, SELF, "8 Things Not to Say to Someone After a Mastectomy," 3 Dec. 2018 People who feel lonely and are socially isolated were up to 32 percent more likely to die early, according to a 2015 meta-analysis. — Dawn Fallik, Washington Post, "What to do about lonely older men? Put them to work.," 24 June 2018 The biggest takeaway is that most Americans are considered lonely. — Jamie Ducharme, Time, "Young Americans Are the Loneliest, According to a New Study," 1 May 2018 Facebook makes people lonely and depressed In a recent University of Pennsylvania study, researchers asked a group of college students to limit their time on Facebook, Instagram (owned by Facebook), and Snapchat to a total of 30 minutes per day. — Timothy B. Lee, Ars Technica, "Sorry Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook isn’t a “positive force”," 21 Nov. 2018 Even though human social networks often fall apart in cities, with people feeling lonely and isolated, the resistant pests stay connected. — Rob Dunn, Discover Magazine, "Our Attempts to Eradicate Insects are Just Making them Resistant to Pesticides," 16 Nov. 2018 Kondo says the cleanup process can often be lonely, and this guide will be a way for people to connect and get through it together. — Bridget Hallinan, Condé Nast Traveler, "Marie Kondo's Revolutionary New Product Is...a Shoebox," 24 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'lonely.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.