lonely

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lone·ly

(lōn′lē)

adj. lone·li·er, lone·li·est

a. Dejected by the awareness of being alone. See Synonyms at alone.

b. Producing such dejection: the loneliest night of the week.

2. Without others of a similar kind; lone; solitary: "a lonely band of lawyers up against the might of the American legal establishment" (Nick Kotz).

3. Unfrequented by people; desolate: a lonely crossroads.

lone′li·ly adv.

lone′li·ness n.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

lonely

(ˈləʊnlɪ)

adj, -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.

3. isolated, unfrequented, or desolate

4. without companions; solitary

ˈloneliness n

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

lone•ly

(ˈloʊn li)

adj. -li•er, -li•est.

1. affected with or causing a depressing feeling of being alone; lonesome.

2. destitute of sympathetic or friendly companionship, support, etc.: a lonely exile.

3. lone; solitary; without company; companionless.

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

5. standing apart; isolated: a lonely tower.

[1600–10]

lone′li•ness, n.

lonely

, lonesome, forlorn, desolate - Lonely adds to solitary a suggestion of longing for companionship, while lonesome heightens the suggestion of sadness; forlorn and desolate are even more isolated and sad.

alone

– lonely

1. 'alone'

If you are alone, you are not with any other people.

I wanted to be alone.

Barbara spent most of her time alone in the flat.

Be Careful!
Don't use 'alone' in front of a noun. For example, don't talk about 'an alone woman'. Instead, you say 'a woman on her own'.

These holidays are popular with people on their own.

2. 'lonely'

Don't confuse alone with lonely. If you are lonely, you are unhappy because you don't have any friends or anyone to talk to. Lonely is used either in front of a noun or after a linking verb like be or feel.

He was a lonely little boy.

She must be very lonely here.

lonely

– lonesome

1. 'lonely'

In British English, someone who is lonely is unhappy because they are alone.

Since he left India he had been lonely and homesick.

2. 'lonesome'

American speakers sometimes say lonesome, not 'lonely'.

I bet you told her how lonesome you were.

Collins COBUILD English Usage © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 2004, 2011, 2012

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Switch to new thesaurus

Adj.	1.	lonely - lacking companions or companionship; "he was alone when we met him"; "she is alone much of the time"; "the lone skier on the mountain"; "a lonely fisherman stood on a tuft of gravel"; "a lonely soul"; "a solitary traveler" lone, alone, solitary unaccompanied - being without an escort
	2.	lonely - marked by dejection from being alone; "felt sad and lonely"; "the loneliest night of the week"; "lonesome when her husband is away"; "spent a lonesome hour in the bar" lonesome dejected - affected or marked by low spirits; "is dejected but trying to look cheerful"
	3.	lonely - characterized by or preferring solitude; "a lone wolf"; "a lonely existence"; "a man of a solitary disposition"; "a solitary walk" solitary, lone unsocial - not seeking or given to association; being or living without companions; "the unsocial disposition to neglect one's neighbors"
	4.	lonely - devoid of creatures; "a lonely crossroads"; "a solitary retreat"; "a trail leading to an unfrequented lake" unfrequented, solitary uninhabited - not having inhabitants; not lived in; "an uninhabited island"; "gaping doors of uninhabited houses"

lonely

adjective

1. solitary, alone, isolated, abandoned, lone, withdrawn, single, estranged, outcast, forsaken, forlorn, destitute, by yourself, lonesome, friendless, companionless lonely people who just want to talk
solitary together, popular, accompanied, befriended

2. desolate, deserted, remote, isolated, solitary, out-of-the-way, secluded, uninhabited, sequestered, off the beaten track (informal), godforsaken, unfrequented dark, lonely streets
desolate crowded, frequented, bustling, teeming, populous

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

lonely

adjective

1. Lacking the company of others:

alone, companionless, lone, lonesome, single, solitary, unaccompanied.

2. Empty of people:

deserted, desolate, forlorn, godforsaken, lonesome, unfrequented.

3. Far from centers of human population:

back, insular, isolated, lonesome, obscure, outlying, out-of-the-way, remote, removed, secluded, solitary.

Idiom: off the beaten path.

4. Dejected due to the awareness of being alone:

desolate, forlorn, lonesome, lorn.

Translations

مُتَوَحِّدْمُنْعَزِلوَحيد، بدون أصْدِقاء

osamělýizolovanýliduprázdný

ensomødeafsides

einsam

μοναχικός

solitario solo aislado

yksinäinen

isolé seul solitaire

usamljenosamljen

magányos

einmanaeinmanalegur

solo isolato malinconico solitario unico

さびしい孤独の

고독한

izolovanýľudoprázdny

osamljensamoten

ensam

หงอยเหงา

yalnız tenha

cô đơn

孤独的寂寞人迹稀少的

lonely

[ˈləʊnlɪ]

A. ADJ

1. (lonelier (compar) (loneliest (superl))) (= without company) he was a sad and lonely man → era un hombre triste y solitario
to feel lonely → sentirse solo
I was lonely and didn't know what to do → me sentía solo y no sabía qué hacer

2. (= solitary) [life, place, period of time] → solitario
the lonely hours of the night → las horas nocturnas de soledad, las solitarias horas de la noche
it's lonely at the top → uno se siente muy solo en la cumbre

3. (= remote) [village, house] → solitario, aislado; [road] → solitario

4. (liter) (= mournful) [sound] → lúgubre y solitario (liter)

B. NPL the lonely → las personas que están solas

C. CPD lonely hearts club N → club m de corazones solitarios
lonely hearts (column) N → sección f de corazones solitarios

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

lonely

[ˈləʊnli] adj

[person] → seul(e); [childhood, night] → solitaire
It was a lonely time → C'était une période où je me sentais seul.
to feel lonely → se sentir seul(e)
She feels a bit lonely → Elle se sent un peu seule.

[place] → solitaire, isolé(e)lonely hearts modif
lonely hearts ad → petite annonce f (personnelle)
lonely hearts club → club m de rencontres (pour personnes seules)lone parent n → parent m uniquelone parent family n → famille f monoparentale

lonely

adj (+er) → einsam; it’s lonely at the top → an der Spitze lebt es sich einsam; lonely hearts ad → Kontaktanzeige f; lonely hearts column → Kontaktanzeigen pl; lonely hearts club → Singletreff m, → Singleklub m

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

lonely

[ˈləʊnlɪ] adj (-ier (comp) (-iest (superl))) (person) → solitario/a; (place, isolated) → isolato/a; (deserted) → deserto/a
to be or feel lonely → sentirsi solo/a

lone

(ləun) adjective

solitary, without companions, by itself etc. a lone figure on the beach.

ˈlonely adjective

1. lacking or wanting companionship. Aren't you lonely, living by yourself?

2. (of a place) far away from busy places, having few people. a lonely island.

ˈloneliness noun

ˈlonesome adjective

(especially American) lonely; solitary. She feels lonesome when her brothers are at school.

ˈlonesomeness noun

lonely

→ مُتَوَحِّدْ osamělý ensom einsam μοναχικός solo yksinäinen seul usamljen solo 孤独の 고독한 eenzaam ensom samotny solitário одинокий ensam หงอยเหงา yalnız cô đơn 孤独的

References in classic literature ?

Lonely I stand On the lonelier hill-top, Cloudland beneath me And cloudland around me.

View in context

Yes, the very furniture seemed even lonelier than myself.

View in context

"We have come from a far lonelier place than this."

View in context

The old bare, gray church, situated at some little distance from the village, looked a lonelier object than usual in the dim starlight.

View in context

Mary felt lonelier than ever when she knew she was no longer in the house.

View in context

Anne felt lonelier than ever as she walked home, going by way of the Birch Path and Willowmere.

View in context

"She will be lonelier still, I fear, when you go away again to college," said Mrs.

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The rest of it comes later--sometime when Piggy asks Dulcie again to dine with him, and she is feeling lonelier than usual, and General Kitchener happens to be looking the other way; and then--

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I had been thinking of it, sweeping over those mountain wastes of snow in Switzerland, then inaccessible to any human foot; and had been speculating which was the lonelier, those solitary regions, or a deserted ocean.

View in context

At that moment a single shot rang out upon the picket-line--a lonelier and louder, though more distant, shot than ever had been heard by mortal ear!

View in context

The place looked lonelier than ever as I chose my position, and waited and watched, with my eyes on the white cross that rose over Mrs.

View in context

The words, "Watch over him, Christie; he needs a woman's care," again echoed in her ears, as if borne on the night wind from the lonely grave in the lonelier cemetery by the distant sea.