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Definition of 'lonely'

Word Frequency

lonely

(loʊnli )

Word forms: comparative lonelier , superlative loneliest

1. adjective

Someone who is lonely is unhappy because they are alone or do not have anyone they can talk to.

...lonely people who just want to talk.

I feel lonelier in the middle of London than I do on my boat in the middle of nowhere.

Synonyms: solitary, alone, isolated, abandoned More Synonyms of lonely

The lonely are people who are lonely.

He looks for the lonely, the lost, the unloved.

2. adjective

A lonely situation or period of time is one in which you feel unhappy because you are alone or do not have anyone to talk to.

I desperately needed something to occupy me during those long, lonely nights.

...her lonely childhood.

3. adjective

A lonely place is one where very few people come.

It felt like the loneliest place in the world.

...dark, lonely streets.

Synonyms: desolate, deserted, remote, isolated More Synonyms of lonely

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Word Frequency

lonely in British English

(ˈləʊnlɪ )

adjectiveWord forms: -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

Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers

Derived forms

loneliness (ˈloneliness)

noun

Word Frequency

lonely in American English

(ˈloʊnli )

adjectiveWord forms: ˈlonelier or ˈloneliest

1.

alone; solitary

2.

a.

standing apart from others of its kind; isolated

b.

unfrequented or uninhabited

3.

unhappy at being alone; longing for friends, company, etc.

4.

causing such a feeling

SIMILAR WORDS: aˈlone

Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. Copyright © 2010 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.

Derived forms

lonelily (ˈlonelily)

adverb

loneliness (ˈloneliness)

noun

Word Frequency

lonely in American English

(ˈlounli)

adjectiveWord forms: -lier, -liest

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

5.

standing apart; isolated

a lonely tower

Most material © 2005, 1997, 1991 by Penguin Random House LLC. Modified entries © 2019 by Penguin Random House LLC and HarperCollins Publishers Ltd

Derived forms

lonelily

adverb

loneliness or lonelihood

noun

Word origin

[1600–10; lone + -ly]

Examples of 'lonely' in a sentence
lonely

These examples have been automatically selected and may contain sensitive content. Read more…

Do we want people to talk to robots when they feel lonely? Losing games is hard and it can be quite a lonely place.When you lose games of cricket it becomes very hard and it can be quite a lonely place.It can be a lonely place.I went to a party last month feeling lonely and down. Feeling lonely behind closed doors.He said:'This happens because people are lonely and bored.We should be lonely indeed if people were scared to drop in on us unannounced.The sound of the audience and his rasping voice would make me feel less lonely.It was a lonely and unhappy time.

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More idioms containing
lonely

plough a lonely furrow

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lonely

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In other languages
lonely

British English: lonely /ˈləʊnlɪ/ ADJECTIVE

A lonely person is unhappy because they are alone, or because they do not have any friends.

American English: lonely /ˈloʊnli/
Arabic: مُتَوَحِّدْ
Brazilian Portuguese: solitário
Chinese: 孤独的
Croatian: usamljen
Czech: osamělý
Danish: ensom
Dutch: eenzaam
European Spanish: solo solitario
Finnish: yksinäinen
French: seul
German: einsam
Greek: μοναχικός
Italian: solo
Japanese: 孤独の
Korean: 고독한
Norwegian: ensom
Polish: samotny
European Portuguese: solitário
Romanian: singuratic
Russian: одинокий
Latin American Spanish: solo
Swedish: ensam
Thai: หงอยเหงา
Turkish: yalnız
Ukrainian: самотній
Vietnamese: cô đơn

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Nov 08, 2021

Word of the day

desertification

Desertification is the process by which a piece of land becomes dry , empty , and unsuitable for growing trees or crops on.

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Scrabble score
for 'lonely':
9

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