lonely

adjective

ˈlōn-lē How to pronounce lonely (audio)
Definition of lonelynext
1
as in lone
not being in the company of others a single lonely cactus in the desert

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in lonesome
sad from lack of companionship or separation from others I was lonely when I first got to Los Angeles, but I soon made friends

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in bleak
causing or marked by an atmosphere lacking in cheer the lonely streets of a honky-tonk beach town in the off-season

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word lonely distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of lonely are alone, desolate, forlorn, lonesome, lone, and solitary. While all these words mean "isolated from others," lonely adds to solitary a suggestion of longing for companionship.

felt lonely and forsaken

When is it sensible to use alone instead of lonely?

In some situations, the words alone and lonely are roughly equivalent. However, alone stresses the objective fact of being by oneself with slighter notion of emotional involvement than most of the remaining terms.

everyone needs to be alone sometimes

When could desolate be used to replace lonely?

The synonyms desolate and lonely are sometimes interchangeable, but desolate implies inconsolable grief at loss or bereavement.

desolate after her brother's death

Where would forlorn be a reasonable alternative to lonely?

The words forlorn and lonely are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, forlorn stresses dejection, woe, and listlessness at separation from one held dear.

a forlorn lost child

How does the word lone relate to other synonyms for lonely?

Lone may replace lonely or lonesome but typically is as objective as alone.

a lone robin pecking at the lawn

In what contexts can lonesome take the place of lonely?

The words lonesome and lonely can be used in similar contexts, but lonesome heightens the suggestion of sadness and poignancy.

an only child often leads a lonesome life

When would solitary be a good substitute for lonely?

While the synonyms solitary and lonely are close in meaning, solitary may indicate isolation as a chosen course, but more often it suggests sadness and a sense of loss.

glorying in the calm of her solitary life
left solitary by the death of his wife

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of lonely For example, viewing solitude as a beneficial experience rather than a lonely one has been shown to help alleviate negative feelings about being alone, even for the participants who were severely lonely. —Virginia Thomas, The Conversation, 4 Apr. 2025 Hunter’s plays can sometimes be inward-looking, lonely and leisurely, but this one gets loud, fast and frantic. —Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 2 Apr. 2025 Maria’s lonely struggle to adapt to American food, clothing and culture ends happily with a loving foster mom and her dance nights at La Havana Madrid. —Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Apr. 2025 The film, set in 1920s Montana, unwraps the lives of the Burbank brothers, Phil (Benedict Cumberbatch) and George (Jesse Plemons), after George marries lonely widow Rose Gordon (Kirsten Dunst), setting surly Phil into a tailspin of cruelty that envelops the family. —Sezin Devi Keohler, EW.com, 29 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for lonely
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lonely
  1. lone
  2. lonesome
  3. bleak
  4. solitary
  5. desolate
  6. dark
  7. single
  8. forlorn
Adjective
  • In his lone year with Mizzou, Pyne appeared in five games, most notably relieving three-year starter Brady Cook in contests versus Auburn, Alabama and Oklahoma as Cook dealt with hand and ankle injuries.
    — Amelia Hurley, Kansas City Star, 8 Apr. 2025
  • Rickard Rakell scored Pittsburgh’s lone goal on the power play, but Mikheyev reached the 20-goal plateau for just the second time in his six-year career on the empty netter.
    — Phil Thompson, Chicago Tribune, 7 Apr. 2025
Definition of lone
Adjective
  • Alison Krauss will sell no high, lonesome sound before its time.
    — Chris Willman, Variety, 2 Apr. 2025
  • The cowboy is a longstanding symbol of North America, and is romanticized as a ‘real man,’ the strong silent type, lonesome, self-reliant and emotionally distant.
    — Cecilia Rodriguez, Forbes, 2 Mar. 2025
Definition of lonesome
Adjective
  • The coming-of-age story finds a new generation of young women in Gilead, grappling with the bleak future that awaits them.
    — Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 1 Apr. 2025
  • Stocks had sold off sharply last Friday, amid growing uncertainty on U.S. trade policy and a bleak inflation outlook.
    — Amala Balakrishner, CNBC, 30 Mar. 2025
Definition of bleak
Adjective
  • Well, that and transforming a deeply solitary hobby into something much more communal.
    — Leila Herrmann, Vogue, 9 Apr. 2025
  • Of Kompany’s eight outfield substitutes on Tuesday, two — Lennart Karl and Jonah Kusi-Asare (both 17) have never played a Bundesliga or European minute for the club, and a third, Jonathan Asp (19) only has a solitary senior minute to his name.
    — Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2025
Definition of solitary
Adjective
  • Fourteen years of war have left the country desolate, and its people exhausted; millions have been displaced or were forced to become refugees.
    — Raghed Waked & Justin Salhani, The Dial, 25 Mar. 2025
  • That quality is maintained first and foremost by a desolate whistling-wind sound effect in the background of all the scenes, along with a sustained droning musical score.
    — Ben Coxworth, New Atlas, 14 Mar. 2025
Definition of desolate
Adjective
  • The Page Turner sees the Page family consumed by the literary world — each in their own way — as its dark, foundational secret runs the risk of exposure.
    — Rachel Raposas, People.com, 4 Apr. 2025
  • While the app only went dark for a matter of a day or so in the U.S., it was removed from the Apple and Google app stores for weeks, because federal law could have seen Apple or Google penalized for distributing it.
    — David Phelan, Forbes.com, 4 Apr. 2025
Definition of dark
Adjective
  • The singer-songwriter first announced the single in January 2024 with an audio excerpt posted on Instagram.
    — Abigail Lee, Variety, 11 Apr. 2025
  • Without a single source of truth, organizations struggle to make informed decisions, manage costs or build resilience in the face of unpredictability.
    — Sarah Jones, Sourcing Journal, 10 Apr. 2025
Definition of single
Adjective
  • This funny, strange and fundamentally forlorn film about the city’s gentrification provided a breakout role for Jonathan Majors as a lost artistic soul.
    — Tom Gliatto, People.com, 26 Mar. 2025
  • While the Mumbai players were jubilant, Australian cricket great Meg Lanning cut a forlorn figure after Delhi’s heart-breaking eight-run defeat.
    — Tristan Lavalette, Forbes, 16 Mar. 2025
Definition of forlorn

Browse Nearby Words

loneliness
lonely
loner
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Cite this Entry

“Lonely.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lonely. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.

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