lonely

UK: /ˈləʊnli/ US: /ˈloʊnli/ ,(lōn′lē)

Inflections of 'lonely' (adj):

lonelier

adj comparative

loneliest

adj superlative

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

lone•ly /ˈloʊnli/   adj., -li•er, -li•est. 

1. having or suffering from a depressing feeling caused by being alone;
   lonesome:
   felt lonely and without friends.
2. causing such a feeling:
   a lonely room.
3. lone;
   solitary:
   a lonely tower on the plain.

lone•li•ness, n. [uncountable]

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

lone•ly  (lōn′lē), adj., -li•er, -li•est. 

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.

• lone + -ly 1600–10

lone′li•ly, adv. 
lone′li•ness, lone′li•hood′, n. 
Synonyms

• 1. . See alone. 
• 4. . uninhabited, unpopulated.
• 5. . secluded.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

lonely / ˈləʊnlɪ/ adjective ( -lier, -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 noun