lonely

[ lohn-lee ]
See synonyms for: lonelyloneliness on Thesaurus.com

adjective,lone·li·er, lone·li·est.
  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.

  1. lone; solitary; without company; companionless.

  2. remote from places of human habitation; desolate; unfrequented; bleak: a lonely road.

  3. standing apart; isolated: a lonely tower.

Origin of lonely

1
First recorded in 1600–10; lone + -ly

synonym study For lonely

1. See alone.

Other words for lonely

Other words from lonely

  • lone·li·ly, adverb
  • lone·li·ness, lone·li·hood, noun
  • un·lone·ly, adjective

Words Nearby lonely

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use lonely in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for lonely

lonely

/ (ˈləʊnlɪ) /


adjective-lier or -liest
  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

  1. isolated, unfrequented, or desolate

  2. without companions; solitary

Derived forms of lonely

  • loneliness, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012