lonely

American  

[lohn-lee] / ˈloʊn li /

adjective

lonelier, loneliest

1. affected with, characterized by, or causing a depressing feeling of being alone; lonesome.

2. destitute of sympathetic or friendly companionship, intercourse, support, etc..

   a lonely exile.

3. lone; solitary; without company; companionless.

4. remote from places of human habitation; desolate; unfrequented; bleak.

   a lonely road.

   Synonyms:

   unpopulated, uninhabited

5. standing apart; isolated.

   a lonely tower.

   Synonyms:

   secluded

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lonely British  

/ ˈləʊnlɪ /

adjective

1. unhappy as a result of being without the companionship of others

   a lonely man

2. causing or resulting from the state of being alone

   a lonely existence

3. isolated, unfrequented, or desolate

4. without companions; solitary

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Related Words

See alone.

Other Word Forms

• lonelihood noun
• lonelily adverb
• loneliness noun
• unlonely adjective

Etymology

Origin of lonely

First recorded in 1600–10; lone + -ly

Example Sentences

"It can be very lonely. Most of my friends had to flee the country to pursue something better."

From BBC

She sniffed out a short breath, then added, “I know you’d do swell if you had to go out on your own, but it sure can be lonely out there.”

From Literature

Coming back from brain trauma can be a lonely journey and finding books for my wife became a way that I could walk beside her on the road to recovery.

From The Wall Street Journal

Karishma is so desperately lonely that she finds solace in his company, but no one else can stand him.

From The Wall Street Journal

She said the people she chatted to often seemed "really nice" but were obviously lonely, making the whole process feel sad, especially as she was not the person she was pretending to be.

From BBC

Related Words

• deserted
• desolate
• destitute
• empty
• homeless
• isolated
• lonesome
• reclusive
• solitary