lone

1 of 2

adjective

ˈlōn How to pronounce lone (audio)
Synonyms of lone
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

loneness

2 of 2

noun

lone·​ness
plural -es
: the quality or state of being lone : isolation
space that was absolute meaninglessness and absolute cold, and absolute dark loneness—Waldo Frank
to face the loneness of their days—Marsden Hartley

Synonyms of lone

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Adjective

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

Adjective 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.
Adjective
Leonard spent one season in Toronto, and that was the year the Raptors won their lone title. — CBS News, 1 July 2026 Suárez played a ball into the penalty area, and Jhon Arias scored the game’s lone goal in the 14th minute. — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 4 July 2026 Spain has not advanced past the round of 16 since claiming its lone World Cup in 2010. — Jim Barnes july 2, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 July 2026 The lone goal came from midfielder Stephen Eustáquio, who unleashed a strike from outside the box in the 92nd minute. — Jibin Joseph, PC Magazine, 4 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for lone

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English, short for alone

First Known Use

Adjective

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

Rhymes for lone

See All Rhymes for lone

Browse Nearby Words

Londrina
lone
lone hand
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Lone.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lone. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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