loner

[ loh-ner ]

noun

1. a person who is or prefers to be alone, especially one who avoids the company of others:

   He was always a loner—no one knew him well.

loner

/ ˈləʊnə /

noun

1. informal.
   a person or animal who avoids the company of others or prefers to be alone

Word History and Origins

Origin of loner¹

First recorded in 1945–50; lone + -er ¹

Example Sentences

In an interview with The Washington Post, Mark Krikorian, the Center for Immigration Studies’ executive director, denounced Crusius’ killings, but he described his manifesto as “remarkably well-written for a 21-year-old loner.”

From Salon

She always seemed a bit of a loner.

From BBC

“I had some friends, but I was very much of a loner,” Duthiers said of his youth spent mostly in the New York area.

From Los Angeles Times

Cobby, meanwhile, is a sarcastic loner fresh from a stint in the slammer.

From Los Angeles Times

Investigators described Crooks as a loner whose social network was limited to immediate family members.

From Salon

Related Words

• hermit
• outsider