alone
- lonely
‘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’.
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.
‘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.