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
In the Mood? 100 Words to Describe Emotions
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Hooked on a Feeling, List 3
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Talk Like Shakespeare Day, List 6
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
Watch: Why the lonely in China are hiring 'temporary children'
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
“We should care about this because societies where people feel lonely and isolated — those are societal failures that are up to all of us to address.”
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 6, 2026
Beautiful things, sad things, scary things, and lonely things, thought Duane.
From "The Very, Very Far North" by Dan Bar-el
But over the last decade it’s become even lonelier, with algorithms and vertical video platforms like TikTok siloing users into consumption over interaction.
From Salon ● Aug. 23, 2026
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
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
It seemed a lonelier sound than usual, as if it were echoing around an empty home.
From "When Dimple Met Rishi" by Sandhya Menon
“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
Mike Alfred had become convinced by 2021 that he was on to a great idea: building huge data centers for bitcoin mining in some of the loneliest spots in Texas.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 18, 2025
She described lockdown as "probably the loneliest time of my life".
From BBC ● Mar. 23, 2025
And I forget the ancestral graves I have left on a hillside of a faraway land, the loneliest stones that each year go unblessed.
From "Native Speaker" by Chang-rae Lee
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
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.
