lonely

[lohn-lee]

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

lonely

/ 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

Other Word Forms

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of lonely¹

First recorded in 1600–10; lone + -ly

Synonym Study

See alone.

Example Sentences

Fraudsters using promises of love and companionship to cheat the lonely is a crime as old as Victorian novels.

From Los Angeles Times

With her teenage son attending boarding school in New York, and the loss of both her parents, she was increasingly lonely at home; and floundering professionally.

From BBC

In the 1989 documentary John's Not Mad, he cut a sad and lonely figure as the cameras followed him around his home town of Galashiels in the Scottish Borders.

From BBC

For 24 years, Shankar endured a lonely existence - including at least 13 spent in solitary confinement.

From BBC

But lonely boys are also more prone to commit violence on others, maybe especially when they mix their anger with politics.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• deserted 
• desolate 
• destitute 
• empty 
• homeless 
• isolated 
• lonesome 
• reclusive www.thesaurus.com
• solitary