lone

adjective

ˈlōn How to pronounce lone (audio)
Synonyms of lonenext
1
a
: having no company : solitary
b
: preferring solitude
2
: only, sole
3
: situated by itself : isolated
loneness
ˈlōn-nəs How to pronounce lone (audio)
noun

Synonyms

See all Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus 
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.
Several warring factions exist within the Zone, as well as lone bandits and stalkers. —Issy Van Der Velde, Rolling Stone, 20 Nov. 2024 Since the program started in 2017, birdlife diversity has increased from just seven species to more than 60, and camera traps have caught golden monkeys, serval cats, and even a lone silverback passing through the reforested land. —Chris Schalkx, Robb Report, 19 Nov. 2024 Prior to Monday, Price and her campaign had repeatedly declined to comment on the Nov. 5 election and issued a lone statement on Nov. 6 urging residents to be patient while the votes were counted. —Jakob Rodgers, The Mercury News, 18 Nov. 2024 Mesa police identified the man who was the lone survivor of a fiery plane crash that killed five people on Election Day as 18-year-old Kimball Lindahl. Det. —Perry Vandell, The Arizona Republic, 14 Nov. 2024 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

Phrases Containing lone

Dictionary Entries Near lone

Londrina

lone

lone hand

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Lone.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lone. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.

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Kids Definition

lone

adjective
ˈlōn How to pronounce lone (audio)
1
: having no company : solitary
a lone traveler
2
: situated by itself
a lone outpost

More from Merriam-Webster on lone

Nglish: Translation of lone for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of lone for Arabic Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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