lonesome

[lohn-suhm]

adjective

1. depressed or sad because of the lack of friends, companionship, etc.; lonely.

   to feel lonesome.

2. attended with or causing such a state or feeling.

   a lonesome evening at home.

3. lonely or deserted in situation; remote, desolate, or isolated.

   a lonesome road.

lonesome

/ ˈləʊnsəm /

adjective

1. another word for lonely

noun

1. informal,  on one's own

Other Word Forms

• lonesomely adverb
• lonesomeness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of lonesome¹

First recorded in 1640–50; lone + -some ¹

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. on / by one's lonesome, alone: Also by one's lane.

   She went walking by her lonesome.

Synonym Study

See alone.

Example Sentences

There’s a high and lonesome fiddle sounding the alarm, before a gloriously defiant harmony vocal: “I’m a hard headed woman . . . and I don’t owe ya sh*t.”

Read more on Salon

Given how violently the world is spiraling, it’s natural to connect to these lonesome yearnings.

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"It reminds you of Hank Williams singing that song, 'I'm so lonesome I could cry.'"

Read more on BBC

It took Ireland eight minutes to score at Murrayfield, the nerveless Sam Prendergast enjoying time and space and a penalty advantage to throw a long left-to-right pass to Calvin Nash, all on his lonesome.

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Driving around after dark is a lonesome experience, the eerie consequence of what many label a “voluntary” curfew.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• deserted 
• desolate 
• homesick 
• isolated 
• lonely