lonely
Americanadjective
-
lonelier,
comparative
-
loneliest
superlative
-
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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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:
Following the death of her husband, she was so lonely that she says she even considered the possibility of voluntary euthanasia.
From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2026
Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow, Dodger Nation turns its lonely eyes to you.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2026
A healthier lifestyle did not significantly reduce the additional health risks linked to feeling lonely.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 10, 2026
A grandson of a co-founder of Texaco, Mr. Lloyd grew up lonely and introspective on a 400-acre estate in New Canaan, Conn. His father was chilly and remote.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026
She had never before felt so lonely and miserable.
From "Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes" by Eleanor Coerr
He is booked on a couple of Regent cruises but his family wonders if going solo will make him lonelier.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026
That stance is getting lonelier as hard- drive stocks continue their ascent.
From Barron's ● Jan. 16, 2026
For all the strides society has made during the course of his career toward acceptance and inclusivity, he also sees that patients are lonelier than they used to be.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 13, 2026
Researchers, doctors and even Netflix have told us we’re lonelier than ever.
From Salon ● Apr. 8, 2025
I've never felt lonelier since the Games began.
From "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins
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 mean, sometimes the loneliest place for someone like that is in a crowded room.”
From Salon ● Jan. 28, 2026
"I was just in bed," Robert recalls, describing the week as the loneliest time of his life.
From BBC ● Nov. 1, 2025
“L.A. is the loneliest and most brutal of American cities,” it reads, echoing a common critique of one of the world’s most misunderstood urban areas.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2025
I spent three months as the loneliest man in history and it's finally over.
From "The Martian" by Andy Weir
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
