lonelier; loneliest
1
2
: not frequented by human beings : desolate
a lonely spot in the woods
3
: sad from being alone : lonesome
He was feeling lonely without his wife and children.
4
: producing a feeling of bleakness or desolation
it's a lonely thing to be a champion—
G. B. Shaw
G. B. ShawSynonyms
Examples of lonely in a Sentence
He was lonely without his wife and children.
She was a lonely child with few friends.
It was lonely living out in the country.
She spent too many lonely nights at home.
She had a lonely childhood.
a lonely spot in the woods
a lonely stretch of road
Recent Examples on the Web
The phrase is seen as a dig at the possibility these lonely residents are actually waiting for Russian troops to arrive.
—Emile Ducke Thomas Gibbons-Neff, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2024
Some of them are lonely, some are feeling insecure.
—Georgia Rowe, The Mercury News, 3 Apr. 2024
In real life, such a beautiful person might be called a lonely loser.
—Cressida Leyshon, The New Yorker, 1 Apr. 2024
Though long considered to be the small, lonely outlier of the solar system, the International Astronomical Union, a nongovernmental organization, downgraded that categorization in 2006.
—Li Cohen, CBS News, 1 Apr. 2024
Also, being a business owner can be lonely at times.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
Business Column: Scientists are paying a huge personal price in the lonely fight against anti-vaxxers
Oct. 20, 2023
More on that shortly.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2024
Get Connected In a journey as lonely and daunting as entrepreneurship can often be, having a supportive network of fellow leaders and helpful resources can make all the difference.
—John Hall, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
And now, years later, Steve is not such a lonely guy.
—Steve Martin, USA TODAY, 29 Mar. 2024
Emile Ducke Thomas Gibbons-Neff, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2024
Some of them are lonely, some are feeling insecure.
—Georgia Rowe, The Mercury News, 3 Apr. 2024
In real life, such a beautiful person might be called a lonely loser.
—Cressida Leyshon, The New Yorker, 1 Apr. 2024
Though long considered to be the small, lonely outlier of the solar system, the International Astronomical Union, a nongovernmental organization, downgraded that categorization in 2006.
—Li Cohen, CBS News, 1 Apr. 2024
Also, being a business owner can be lonely at times.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
Business Column: Scientists are paying a huge personal price in the lonely fight against anti-vaxxers
Oct. 20, 2023
More on that shortly.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2024
Get Connected In a journey as lonely and daunting as entrepreneurship can often be, having a supportive network of fellow leaders and helpful resources can make all the difference.
—John Hall, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
And now, years later, Steve is not such a lonely guy.
—Steve Martin, USA TODAY, 29 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lonely.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Dictionary Entries Near lonely
Cite this Entry
“Lonely.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lonely. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
lonely
adjective
lone·ly
ˈlōn-lē 
lonelier; loneliest
loneliness
noun
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