lonely
Americanadjective
-
affected with, characterized by, or causing a depressing feeling of being alone; lonesome.
-
destitute of sympathetic or friendly companionship, intercourse, support, etc..
a lonely exile.
-
lone; solitary; without company; companionless.
-
remote from places of human habitation; desolate; unfrequented; bleak.
a lonely road.
- Synonyms:
- unpopulated, uninhabited
-
standing apart; isolated.
a lonely tower.
- Synonyms:
- secluded
adjective
-
unhappy as a result of being without the companionship of others
a lonely man
-
causing or resulting from the state of being alone
a lonely existence
-
isolated, unfrequented, or desolate
-
without companions; solitary
Synonym Usage
See alone.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Adjectives
Etymology
Origin of lonely
Explanation
There are a few definitions of lonely but they all share the same qualities: solitude, the absence of human company, and not a lot of exciting stuff going on. If being alone makes you sad, that’s one definition of lonely: the depressing feeling you get when no one else is around. Being alone doesn’t have to be a bummer, and sometimes lonely simply means preferring to be by yourself, like the lonely poet who takes long walks in the woods. Mars is a lonely planet because no life can survive there, and on a cross country trip you’ll drive down many long and lonely roads.
Vocabulary lists containing lonely
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Hooked on a Feeling, List 3
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Talk Like Shakespeare Day, List 6
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
"Throughout that journey, I felt incredibly isolated, lonely, confused," she says.
From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2026
The mall’s food court now features only one eatery, a lonely Sbarro.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026
“He’s been so lonely since his career died.”
From Salon ● Jul. 3, 2026
Now 15, she has carried on a lonely legal fight to compete on her school’s track team in Bridgeport, W. Va.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 30, 2026
They held up their torch to Allun and watched him raise his in answer and turn away to begin his lonely journey back to the cave entrance.
From "Rowan of Rin" by Emily Rodda
Places built around private convenience look lonelier than places where daily routines force people to bump into one another.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026
Naomi, 30, from Pembrokeshire, has spent more than a decade navigating non-monogamous relationships and said having a very good calendar is key and, ironically, the reality is far lonelier than people might expect.
From BBC ● May 5, 2026
And yet, we are also lonelier than ever, especially younger generations who are even more likely to be on their digital devices for longer periods of time.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 25, 2026
That stance is getting lonelier as hard- drive stocks continue their ascent.
From Barron's ● Jan. 16, 2026
And after a while, they left him alone, which somehow made him feel even lonelier, but at least that was familiar.
From "Far from the Tree" by Robin Benway
“I mean, sometimes the loneliest place for someone like that is in a crowded room,” Rausch observes in recognizing the sensitivity of a fellow introvert.
From Salon ● Jun. 20, 2026
Gen Z, it turns out, is the loneliest generation of them all, according to the 2025 Cigna Group report “Loneliness in America.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 25, 2026
Another, “Altars,” is a tame and ultimately bland song by Ms. Aitchison’s high standards, with a chorus—“One is not the loneliest number”—that draws on a pop cliché without interrogating or transforming it.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 17, 2026
"I was just in bed," Robert recalls, describing the week as the loneliest time of his life.
From BBC ● Nov. 1, 2025
In my loneliest moments, I reach into my pocket, where I keep the key Mima gave me to our house in Silivri.
From "Across So Many Seas" by Ruth Behar
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
