1
as in lonely
sad from lack of companionship or separation from others a lonesome kitten left at the pound by its hard-hearted owners

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
3

Synonym Chooser

How is the word lonesome distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of lonesome are alone, desolate, forlorn, lonely, lone, and solitary. While all these words mean "isolated from others," lonesome heightens the suggestion of sadness and poignancy.

an only child often leads a lonesome life

When is alone a more appropriate choice than lonesome?

In some situations, the words alone and lonesome 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 lonesome?

While in some cases nearly identical to lonesome, desolate implies inconsolable grief at loss or bereavement.

desolate after her brother's death

When is it sensible to use forlorn instead of lonesome?

Although the words forlorn and lonesome have much in common, 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 lonesome?

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

a lone robin pecking at the lawn

How are the words lonely and solitary related as synonyms of lonesome?

Lonely adds to solitary a suggestion of longing for companionship.

felt lonely and forsaken

When can solitary be used instead of lonesome?

The meanings of solitary and lonesome largely overlap; however, 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 lonesome As the hot Florida sun beat down with everyone else since departed, a familiar figure was running laps around the building by his lonesome. Josh Yohe, The Athletic, 2 Jan. 2025 To rescue his beloved pup, Birney’s lonesome character must enter OBEX’s fantastical medieval realm, where odd creatures dwell, and defeat IXAROTH in his castle. Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 31 Jan. 2025 Beyond its many plot holes and lackluster plot, the second season saw Reacher team up with his ex-army buddies, which kind of defeats the entire point of Reacher being a one-man army who can take down even the most intimidating foes all by his lonesome. Erik Kain, Forbes, 8 Jan. 2025 The penguin had left on a lonesome pilgrimage, solus rex, and no one had the slightest clue why. Christian Kracht, Harper's Magazine, 2 Nov. 2024 See All Example Sentences for lonesome
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lonesome
Adjective
  • This keeps us lonely at a time when the loneliness public health crisis is at an all-time high.
    Priya Vulchi, Time, 9 Apr. 2025
  • Ro, now a police officer, needs help investigating the death 22 years earlier of their classmate, Ricky, killed in a hit-and-run on a lonely county road.
    Mary Ann Grossmann, Twin Cities, 6 Apr. 2025
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
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
Adjective
  • 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
  • Well, that and transforming a deeply solitary hobby into something much more communal.
    Leila Herrmann, Vogue, 9 Apr. 2025
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
Adjective
  • The singer-songwriter first announced the single in January 2024 with an audio excerpt posted on Instagram.
    Abigail Lee, Variety, 11 Apr. 2025
  • The single reached No. 3 on U.S. Afrobeats Songs and No. 4 on World Digital Song Sales.
    Heran Mamo, Billboard, 10 Apr. 2025
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
Adjective
  • In addition to being the lead singer of Måneskin, he’s also released a handful of singles as a solo artist and is releasing his first solo studio album, Funny Little Fears, in May 2025.
    Emily Blackwood, People.com, 8 Apr. 2025
  • In the bottom of the seventh inning, Turlock native Tyler Soderstrom ripped a solo shot to right to pull his team to within 5-4, his second homer of the game and sixth of the season.
    Joe Davidson, Sacbee.com, 8 Apr. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

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

More from Merriam-Webster on lonesome

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!