Synonyms of lonenext
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
That kind of popularity and radiant goodness produces a lineage of artists but doesn’t have the crowd appeal of a lone genius who invents a flying machine or pulls a seventeen-foot sculpture out of a block of marble. Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026 Fitzpatrick carded his lone bogey of the afternoon on the 72nd hole to fall back to 18-under and into a playoff against the American, who posted a bogey-free round of 67 on Sunday. Mark Harris, FOXNews.com, 20 Apr. 2026 Sphere’s lone location thus far is in Las Vegas, which has hosted live music acts and bespoke productions like a new, AI-fueled take on Wizard of Oz. Dade Hayes, Deadline, 20 Apr. 2026 Jaquez was the lone Heat finalist for any of the NBA’s major awards, with three finalists announced Sunday in each category, the winners to be announced during the course of the postseason. Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 19 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for lone

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

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Cite this Entry

“Lone.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.grautoblog.com/dictionary/lone. Accessed 24 Apr. 2026.

Kids Definition

lone

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

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