lonely

American  

[lohn-lee] / ˈloʊn li /

adjective

lonelier, loneliest

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.

3. lone; solitary; without company; companionless.

4. remote from places of human habitation; desolate; unfrequented; bleak.

   a lonely road.

   Synonyms:

   unpopulated, uninhabited

5. standing apart; isolated.

   a lonely tower.

   Synonyms:

   secluded

---

lonely British  

/ ˈləʊnlɪ /

adjective

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

3. isolated, unfrequented, or desolate

4. without companions; solitary

---

Related Words

See alone.

Other Word Forms

• lonelihood noun
• lonelily adverb
• loneliness noun
• unlonely adjective

Etymology

Origin of lonely

First recorded in 1600–10; lone + -ly

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.

Example Sentences

They told her she would die lonely, called her selfish, and accused her of "betraying her country".

From BBC • Apr. 18, 2026

“Those last scenes with me looking like a lonely old lady walking hunched over in the garden? Boy, I told him to get rid of those,” she said, referring to the documentary’s director, R.J.

From Salon • Apr. 16, 2026

Feeling lonely may affect how well older adults remember things, but it does not appear to make memory decline happen faster over time.

From Science Daily • Apr. 14, 2026

And you’ll be seeing a lonely, raw corner of California that few people ever find.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026

Mrs. Contreras had reminded him that sometimes kids, especially lonely kids like Danny, wanted to believe in something so much that their minds played tricks on them.

From "The Way to Rio Luna" by Zoraida Cordova

Related Words

• deserted
• desolate
• destitute
• empty
• homeless
• isolated
• lonesome
• reclusive
• solitary