lonely
Americanadjective
-
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
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Hooked on a Feeling, List 3
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Talk Like Shakespeare Day, List 6
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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:
What if this guy was a lonely plastic surgeon, I thought.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026
In one article, the Daily Mail's Royal Editor wrote in 2013 that Prince Harry faced a lonely New Year's Eve without his girlfriend Cressida Bonas.
From BBC ● Jul. 7, 2026
The mall’s food court now features only one eatery, a lonely Sbarro.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026
“He’s been so lonely since his career died.”
From Salon ● Jul. 3, 2026
As a result, their caretakers and fellow creatures give them a wide berth, which only makes them more lonely, mistrustful, and snappish than before.
From "The Hidden Gallery" by Maryrose Wood
In research published in the journal Science this month, she and Natalia Emanuel and Amanda Pallais presented evidence that remote work has made Americans lonelier and more mentally distressed.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 15, 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
“People are lonelier now. Our generation is lonelier.”
From BBC ● Nov. 30, 2024
It’s”—she lets herself look at me—“it’s getting lonelier and lonelier without you, Jimmy” “I know,” I say.
From "I Am the Messenger" by Markus Zusak
“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
Another, “Altars,” is a tame and ultimately bland song by Ms. Aitchison’s high standards, with a chorus—“One is not the loneliest number”—that draws on a pop cliché without interrogating or transforming it.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 17, 2026
Dubbed Britain's loneliest sheep, it was rescued and made the long trip south to a farm park just outside Dumfries.
From BBC ● Feb. 15, 2026
“L.A. is the loneliest and most brutal of American cities,” it reads, echoing a common critique of one of the world’s most misunderstood urban areas.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 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
Definitions 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.
