LONELINESS Synonyms: 26 Similar and Opposite Words

loneliness

noun

Definition of loneliness

as in isolation

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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 That’s good, because healthy friendships can make kids happier, improve their self-esteem and resilience, and protect against loneliness and depression. — Kara Alaimo, CNN Money, 4 Aug. 2026 Harpman was writing in a different era, but the elegiac loneliness of her fiction anticipates our own solitary and screen-bound present. — Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2026 Steven Conrad’s dark comedy about suburban loneliness earned 13 nominations, including supporting acting nods for each member of its stellar ensemble — Jason Bateman, David Harbour, Linda Cardellini, Richard Jenkins and Joy Sunday. — Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Times, 3 Aug. 2026 Holt-Lunstad led a meta-analysis of 148 studies tracking millions of people over years and often decades, finding that chronic loneliness and isolation carry a mortality risk comparable to smoking 15 cigarettes a day. — Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 2 Aug. 2026 And as the nation grapples with a rapidly aging population that experts believe will increase loneliness, experts say Guthrie’s abduction underscores the importance of making social connection a collective priority, not just an individual one. — Taylor Seely, USA Today, 1 Aug. 2026 In the new film, Peter is battling loneliness and struggling to reconnect with MJ (Zendaya) and Ned (Jacob Batlaon), while at the same time losing control of his developing superpowers as a menacing new villain (Sink) threatens New York City. — Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026 That’s why loneliness may make nostalgia brands especially appealing. — Jeff Galak, The Conversation, 31 July 2026 The survey also showed that Gen Z is the loneliness generation. — Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 30 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for loneliness

Noun

Midway into her pregnancy, the 26-year-old feared being put into isolation simply for having a fever, a common misconception.

— ABC News, ABC News, 3 Aug. 2026
The acclaimed documentary captures a 20-year personal chronicle of a family struggling with severe mental illness and social isolation.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 3 Aug. 2026

Definition of isolation

Noun

Billy’s main creative outlet in her years of solitude has been visual art, and her work—abstractions dominated by the geometric forms of Little Death’s air-vent face—seems like a closed circuit of self-therapy.

— Richard Brody, New Yorker, 31 July 2026
The park also covers more than 3 million acres of mountains, glaciers, rainforests, coastlines, and fjords, giving you plenty of space to explore and find a little solitude.

— Abby Price, Travel + Leisure, 30 July 2026

Definition of solitude

Noun

King joined faith leaders and civil rights advocates from across the country to honor those who challenged housing segregation, racial injustice and systemic inequality decades ago.

— Lila Hempel-Edgers, Chicago Tribune, 1 Aug. 2026
In her order, Sykes barred the government from placing detainees in administrative segregation unless doing so was necessary to address a security threat to staff or the facility, or if a detainee requested it.

— Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 1 Aug. 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

Residents seeking privacy and seclusion will appreciate how this 8,000-square-foot residence feels completely tucked away.

— Catherine Dunwoody, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026
Known for its dramatic coastline and rugged cliffs rising above the Ionian Sea, the Greek island of Corfu has long attracted those drawn to its dramatic natural beauty and sense of seclusion.

— Tori Latham, Robb Report, 29 July 2026

Definition of seclusion

Noun

The other half is a compliance-and-privacy layer, built on the same argument that crypto never actually proves who paid whom.

— Boaz Sobrado, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026
Buttery defended that decision, saying an employee operating a cruiser or unmarked car has no expectation of privacy.

— Kelsy Mittauer, CBS News, 1 Aug. 2026

Definition of privacy

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“Loneliness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/loneliness. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of loneliness

noun

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