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alone

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adjective

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an alone time
a solitary time
a private time
a secluded time
a personal time
an alone group
a solitary group
an individual group
a separated group
a singular group
a separate group
an alone entity
a solo entity
a complete entity
a sole entity
an unique entity
a single entity
an alone system
a solo system
a solitary system
an individual system
an independent system
a separate system
an alone product
a single product
a complete product
a separate product
an independent product
a whole product

Synonym Chooser

How is the word alone distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of alone are desolate, forlorn, lonely, lonesome, lone, and solitary. While all these words 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

When can desolate be used instead of alone?

The meanings of desolate and alone largely overlap; however, desolate implies inconsolable grief at loss or bereavement.

desolate after her brother's death

When is forlorn a more appropriate choice than alone?

In some situations, the words forlorn and alone are roughly equivalent. However, forlorn stresses dejection, woe, and listlessness at separation from one held dear.

a forlorn lost child

How does the word lone relate to other synonyms for alone?

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

a lone robin pecking at the lawn

How do lonely and solitary relate to one another, in the sense of alone?

Lonely adds to solitary a suggestion of longing for companionship.

felt lonely and forsaken

In what contexts can lonesome take the place of alone?

The words lonesome and alone can be used in similar contexts, but lonesome heightens the suggestion of sadness and poignancy.

an only child often leads a lonesome life

When could solitary be used to replace alone?

While in some cases nearly identical to alone, solitary may indicate isolation as a chosen course, but more often it suggests sadness and a sense of loss.

glorying in the calm of her solitary life
left solitary by the death of his wife

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of alone
Adverb
The witnesses looked around the car and found three more children sitting alone inside a nearby vehicle. Lesley Cosme Torres, People.com, 19 May 2025 While eating certain foods may be beneficial, changing your diet alone isn’t likely to replace standard medical care. Julie Marks, Verywell Health, 19 May 2025
Adjective
Disney — where not too long ago Chief Executive Bob Iger mused about spinning off ESPN — wasn’t alone in touting its commitment to the league. Stephen Battaglio, Los Angeles Times, 16 May 2025 Kansas is not alone in revisiting its clock practices. Holden Rodgers, Kansas City Star, 15 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for alone
Recent Examples of Synonyms for alone
Adverb
  • The bill now heads for a vote in the full House, where Speaker Johnson is operating under very tight margins: House Republicans have one of the thinnest majorities in history at 220-212, meaning Johnson can only afford to lose three members of his caucus if all Democrats are opposed.
    Nik Popli, Time, 22 May 2025
  • Right above is an office accessible only by a ladder, giving it a sort of treehouse feel.
    Tori Latham, Robb Report, 21 May 2025
Adjective
  • Health officials have said the United States is facing a mental health crisis, and in 2023, nearly 1 in 4 adults around the world reported feeling fairly or very lonely.
    Madeline Holcombe, CNN Money, 17 May 2025
  • Similarly, a cat was sent to a shelter after 10 years in a home after his owner passed away, leaving him lonely and searching for a new home.
    Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 May 2025
Adjective
  • Drinkwater didn't make one appearance in a Chelsea shirt last season, whilst Bakayoko spent the season in Italy on loan at AC Milan.
    SI.com, SI.com, 3 Aug. 2019
  • Decisions made by engineers today, in other words, will determine not how one car drives but how all cars drive.
    Johannes Himmelreich, BostonGlobe.com, 30 Mar. 2018
Adverb
  • In a case that's drawing significant social media attention, a Georgia college student and her father are being held in the same immigration detention center and facing deportation after they were separately stopped by police for driving without valid licenses.
    Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 15 May 2025
  • This avoids the inefficiency of multiple groups negotiating separately for the same items.
    Eric Steele, Forbes.com, 14 May 2025
Adverb
  • Its continued existence occurs solely because of our commitment to enable it to survive.
    Jody Mamone, Hartford Courant, 20 May 2025
  • The bill, which goes into effect July 1, says an officer cannot stop a boat or board someone’s boat solely to do a safety or equipment inspection.
    Angie DiMichele, Sun Sentinel, 19 May 2025
Adjective
  • In his lone college season at Duke, Flagg solidified himself as the best prospect in the country, averaging 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.4 blocks.
    Christian Clark, New York Times, 13 May 2025
  • The lone survivor was identified as Anton Tselykh, 38, of Seattle, according to the sheriff's office.
    Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 13 May 2025
Adverb
  • The Oilers got out in front early, scoring just 1:27 into the game off the stick of Adam Henrique, his second goal of the playoffs, which turned out to be all the Oilers would need.
    Kilty Cleary, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 May 2025
  • The singer had just gotten off the road from her Strip Love arena tour.
    Edward Segarra, USA Today, 15 May 2025
Adjective
  • To enable it on a single web page, tap the three-dot menu in Chrome, then select Zoom.
    Emily Forlini, PC Magazine, 16 May 2025
  • Eurostar already allows passengers to book a single ticket from London to several Swiss cities, including Geneva, Zurich, and Lausanne.
    Everett Potter, Forbes.com, 16 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Alone.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/alone. Accessed 27 May. 2025.

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