Synonyms of lonely

lonely

adjective

ˈlōn-lē 

1

as in lone

not being in the company of others

a single lonely cactus in the desert

Synonyms & Similar Words

• lone
• solitary
• single
• alone
• solo
• lonesome
• unaccompanied
• deserted
• secluded
• isolated
• friendless
• abandoned
• separated
• on one's own
• withdrawn
• retired
• unattended
• isolate
• unchaperoned
• cloistered
• divided
• hermetical
• hermetic
• forlorn
• insulated
• segregated
• detached
• disassociated
• neglected
• sequestered
• disjointed
• forsaken
• remote
• quarantined
• forgotten
• unattached
• unconnected
• disunited
• adrift
• disconnected
• desolate
• lorn
• unlinked
• separate
• dissociated
• fractionated

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• accompanied
• adjacent
• attended
• next-door
• contiguous
• adjoining
• neighboring
• connected
• coupled
• attached
• communicating
• chaperoned
• escorted
• linked

2

as in lonesome

sad from lack of companionship or separation from others

I was lonely when I first got to Los Angeles, but I soon made friends

Synonyms & Similar Words

• lonesome
• lone
• solitary
• desolate
• forlorn
• deserted
• friendless
• lorn
• neglected
• alone
• rejected
• forgotten
• forsaken
• abandoned
• unaccompanied
• only
• solo
• sole

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• accompanied
• attended
• escorted

3

as in bleak

causing or marked by an atmosphere lacking in cheer

the lonely streets of a honky-tonk beach town in the off-season

Synonyms & Similar Words

• bleak
• dark
• desolate
• depressive
• somber
• depressing
• lonesome
• darkening
• cold
• murky
• grey
• gray
• solemn
• miserable
• depressed
• morbid
• blue
• sad
• black
• cheerless
• forlorn
• wretched
• chill
• morose
• sullen
• gloomy
• dreary
• sombre
• disconsolate
• comfortless
• drear
• glum
• dismal
• lugubrious
• funereal
• melancholy
• oppressive
• elegiac
• dire
• cloudy
• sepulchral
• saturnine
• unhappy
• desperate
• tenebrous
• godforsaken
• hopeless
• dreich
• plutonian
• dejected
• elegiacal
• sunless
• dull
• Cimmerian
• melancholic
• despondent
• woebegone
• dim
• mournful
• tenebrific
• inconsolable
• discouraging
• negative
• distressful
• mirthless
• grim
• dispiriting
• sorrowful
• droopy
• low
• hangdog
• distressing
• upsetting
• pessimistic
• disheartening
• woeful
• menacing
• down
• discomfiting
• dismaying
• plaintive
• drab
• lamentable
• colorless
• dour
• threatening
• louring
• lowering
• loury
• lowery

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• cheerful
• bright
• friendly
• gay
• comforting
• cheery
• festive
• joyful
• merry
• cordial
• joyous
• jolly
• gay
• sunshiny
• buoyant
• hopeful
• optimistic
• blithe
• mirthful
• encouraging
• heartwarming
• cheering
• blithesome
• jocund
• lighthearted
• lightsome

Synonym Chooser

How is the word lonely distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of lonely are alone, desolate, forlorn, lonesome, lone, and solitary. While all these words mean "isolated from others," lonely adds to solitary a suggestion of longing for companionship.

felt lonely and forsaken

When is it sensible to use alone instead of lonely?

In some situations, the words alone and lonely are roughly equivalent. However, 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 could desolate be used to replace lonely?

The synonyms desolate and lonely are sometimes interchangeable, but desolate implies inconsolable grief at loss or bereavement.

desolate after her brother's death

Where would forlorn be a reasonable alternative to lonely?

The words forlorn and lonely are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, 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 lonely?

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

a lone robin pecking at the lawn

In what contexts can lonesome take the place of lonely?

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

an only child often leads a lonesome life

When would solitary be a good substitute for lonely?

While the synonyms solitary and lonely are close in meaning, 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

Recent Examples of lonely

Why would Tiffany be out on that lonely stretch of highway, so far from home? And could that be the first stop on the road to finding her? —Dateline Nbc, NBC news, 2 July 2025

While Bowie envisioned an Earth careening toward apocalypse in a flamboyant, theatrical cry, Drake’s five leaves are quieter, lonelier — more like the end of a season than the end of a world. —arkansasonline.com, 5 July 2025

By January, Musk had transitioned to lieutenant, making up DOGE, complete with cringey swag, like a lonely preteen dreaming up a secret club in his tree house. —Anita Chabria, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2025

Those who invest today with that reality in mind, patient, practical, sometimes lonely, will be the ones best positioned when the forest finally blooms. —Alexander Puutio, Forbes.com, 28 June 2025