LONELINESS Synonyms: 26 Similar and Opposite Words

loneliness

noun

Definition of loneliness

as in isolation

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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 loneliness Notions of loneliness and alienation are routinely attached to the painting, Nighthawks now deemed by many to be a totemic ode to the isolation of modern life. — Literary Hub, 26 Oct. 2026 Other drivers included grief, loneliness, relationship difficulties, work and financial strain, health concerns and major life decisions. — Gagandeep Singh, Sacbee.com, 24 Oct. 2026 With Taylor Swift, a precocious teen met listeners in their own teenage heartache, their deep-seeded loneliness, and that overarching, painful desire to fit in with a collection of country-pop gems. — Maya Georgi, Rolling Stone, 24 Oct. 2026 In parts of society or in businesses, AI could exacerbate existing weaknesses, like extreme income inequality and the loneliness epidemic. — Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 23 Oct. 2026 In other words, the fraternities aren’t really solving the male loneliness problem. — Rachel Cohen Booth, Vox, 23 Oct. 2026 True, Ishiguro’s 2021 sci-fi novel was prescient in anticipating a loneliness epidemic that would put us under the thrall of machines programmed to approximate human conversation. — Natasha O'Neill, Vanity Fair, 22 Oct. 2026 Research shows that loneliness and social isolation can increase the risk of dementia. — Michelle Singletary, Washington Post, 22 Oct. 2026 Hall doesn’t think social media is the root of our current epidemic of loneliness. — Allison Parshall, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for loneliness

Noun

These onetime kid actors have spoken movingly about facing isolation, external pressure, intense public scrutiny, and the psychic pain of constant rejection on the audition circuit.

— Hillary Busis, Vanity Fair, 27 Oct. 2026
Increasingly, intentional isolation has replaced sightseeing at the top of the travel agenda.

— Luke Abrahams, Vogue, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of isolation

Noun

For many, a walk in the woods or a visit to a scenic stop is a way to seek out not just solitude but also to connect with nature.

— Gagandeep Singh, Sacbee.com, 24 Oct. 2026
There’s the wait that will put an end to unbearable solitude, or perhaps the fear of a new presence arriving to disrupt everything.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of solitude

Noun

Jim Crow segregation, discrimination and systemic racism further depressed the Black population's ability to build wealth that is still largely concentrated among white families.

— ABC News, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026
American educational history is overflowing with abuse, segregation, substandard structures, and smoldering scorn.

— Kamau Bobb October 21, Literary Hub, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of segregation

Noun

These immigrants, who first settled the backcountry of Pennsylvania before pushing farther to the western and southern frontier, brought with them a cultural and linguistic separateness that had an immense impact on the speech of the American heartland.

— Valerie Fridland, Big Think, 21 Apr. 2026
Byrne is generous with his time and attention, but there’s also a Warholian air of mystery about him—a gentle impenetrability, a feeling of separateness.

— Amanda Petrusich, New Yorker, 10 Nov. 2025

Definition of separateness

Noun

Consisting of just three hilltop villas, the property debuted from renovations and a name reset in April 2026, and prioritizes seclusion and comfort.

— Samantha Falewée, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Oct. 2026
The seller described the property as a compromise-free version of city living and rural seclusion.

— David Caraccio, Sacbee.com, 23 Sep. 2026

Definition of seclusion

Noun

The Sun enters your 12th House, drawing your attention toward rest, reflection, privacy, unfinished matters, and everything easier to hear when the outside world becomes less demanding.

— Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 23 Oct. 2026
Privacy concerns The very same design elements that make Muse so appealing to AI newcomers are also raising privacy concerns.

— Andrew R. Chow, Time, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of privacy

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lone

loneliness

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Style

“Loneliness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/loneliness. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of loneliness

noun

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