1
a
: having no company : solitary
b
: preferring solitude
2
: only, sole
3
: situated by itself : isolated
loneness noun
Choose the Right Synonym for lone

alone, solitary, lonely, lonesome, lone, forlorn, desolate mean isolated from others.

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

solitary may indicate isolation as a chosen course

glorying in the calm of her solitary life

but more often it suggests sadness and a sense of loss.

left solitary by the death of his wife

lonely adds to solitary a suggestion of longing for companionship.

felt lonely and forsaken

lonesome heightens the suggestion of sadness and poignancy.

an only child often leads a lonesome life

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

a lone robin pecking at the lawn

forlorn stresses dejection, woe, and listlessness at separation from one held dear.

a forlorn lost child

desolate implies inconsolable grief at loss or bereavement.

desolate after her brother's death

Examples of lone in a Sentence

the lone ripe apple in the entire bag just one lone cow in the middle of the field
Recent Examples on the Web Joshua, played by, is a lone Black ranger seeking revenge for his mother’s murder. Lynnette Nicholas, Essence, 25 Mar. 2024 Those injuries leave Kyle Muller, last year’s Opening Day starter, as the lone lefty currently on the roster. Jon Becker, The Mercury News, 23 Mar. 2024 O’Toole is the lone top seed of the bunch, ranking No. 1 in the 165-pound weight class with a 19-0 record this season. Calum McAndrew, Kansas City Star, 23 Mar. 2024 Norton Healthcare is the lone defendant in the civil lawsuit, filed in 2022 by a supply chain manager still with the company and two former human resources employees. The Courier-Journal, 21 Mar. 2024 The lone city official at the meeting of the all-volunteer golf advisory committee offered only brief remarks and did not answer questions from speakers about why the city has not stopped the practice of brokers buying up the tee times and charging up to $40 as a booking fee. Matt Hamilton, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2024 The final unofficial results for Tempe’s March 2024 election show that the incumbents and Tempe’s lone pro-development newcomer swept the ticket, while voters also approved a new city growth plan by a landslide. Sam Kmack, The Arizona Republic, 18 Mar. 2024 The lone pub in Twin Peaks where everyone gets together to gossip, side-eye each other, and carry on torrid affairs is technically called The Bang Bang Bar, but locals call it The Roadhouse. Katie Rife, EW.com, 16 Mar. 2024 In his lone season with the Falcons, Smith appeared in all 17 games (six starts) and caught 50 passes for 582 yards and three touchdowns. Daniel Oyefusi, Miami Herald, 6 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lone.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, short for alone

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of lone was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near lone

Cite this Entry

“Lone.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lone. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

lone

adjective
1
: having no company : solitary
a lone traveler
2
: situated by itself
a lone outpost

More from Merriam-Webster on lone

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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