loner

[loh-ner]

noun

1. a person who is or prefers to be alone, especially one who avoids the company of others.

   He was always a loner—no one knew him well.

loner

/ ˈləʊnə /

noun

1. informal,  a person or animal who avoids the company of others or prefers to be alone

Word History and Origins

Origin of loner¹

First recorded in 1945–50; lone + -er ¹

Example Sentences

While Jimmie had been very social and outgoing, Jim was a bit bashful, a loner, very quiet, and liked to read.

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Both Devon Louis as a poetic loner and Elizabeth Chapa as an unnamed muse embodied their featured roles to the full.

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He says that since childhood he felt like a loser and became a loner and is drawn to those on the losing end.

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Other pupils told Indonesian news outlets that the suspect was a "loner" who often made drawings depicting violence, and who had been found lying on the ground following the explosion.

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There’s a lot of wacky odd-couple chemistry in their interactions; she was programmed to have, or at least imitate, human emotional intelligence, while he is more given to broad statements about being a fierce loner.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• hermit 
• outsider