Lonely Adjective - Definition, Pictures, Pronunciation And Usage Notes

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Definition of lonely adjective from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

lonely adjective   /ˈləʊnli/  /ˈləʊnli/(comparative lonelier, superlative loneliest) jump to other results

1.   unhappy because you have no friends or people to talk to
   • She lives alone and often feels lonely.
   Extra Examples
   • He was desperately lonely at school.
   • She felt oddly lonely without her books.
   • The support they give to lonely old people is invaluable.
   Topics Feelingsb1Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs
   • be
   • feel
   • look
   • …
   adverb
   • extremely
   • fairly
   • very
   • …
   See full entry

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2.   (of a situation or period of time) sad and spent alone
   • all those lonely nights at home watching TV
   • a lonely childhood
   • She contemplated the lonely walk home.
   • These characters live sad, lonely lives.
   Topics Feelingsb1Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs
   • be
   • feel
   • look
   • …
   adverb
   • extremely
   • fairly
   • very
   • …
   See full entry
3.   [usually before noun] (of places) where only a few people ever come or visit synonym isolated
   • a lonely beach
   • a lonely mountain road
   • It gets pretty lonely here in winter.
   Which Word? alone / on your own / by yourself / lonely / lonealone / on your own / by yourself / lonely / lone
   • Alone, and on your own/by yourself (which are less formal and are the normal phrases used in spoken English), describe a person or thing that is not with other people or things. They do not mean that the person is unhappy:
     • I like being alone in the house.
     • I’m going to London by myself next week.
     • I want to finish this on my own (= without anyone’s help).
   • Lone/​solitary/​single mean that there is only one person or thing there; lone and solitary may sometimes suggest that the speaker thinks the person involved is lonely:
     • a lone jogger in the park
     • long, solitary walks
   • Lonely (North American English also lonesome) means that you are sad because you have no friends or people to talk to:
     • a lonely child
     • Sam was very lonely when he first moved to New York.
     It can also describe places or activities that make you feel lonely:
     • a lonely house
   Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs
   • be
   • feel
   • look
   • …
   adverb
   • extremely
   • fairly
   • very
   • …
   See full entry
Word Originlate 16th cent.: from lone + -ly.

See lonely in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee lonely in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic EnglishCheck pronunciation: lonely

Other results

All matches

• lonely heart noun
• lonely hearts
• Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
• plough a lonely, your own, etc., furrow
• plow a lonely, your own, etc., furrow

Idioms

• plough a lonely, your own, etc., furrow
• plow a lonely, your own, etc., furrow

Nearby words

• lone adjective
• loneliness noun
• lonely adjective
• lonely heart noun
• lone parent noun

gaze verb From the Word list Oxford 5000 C1 Oxford Learner's Dictionaries Word of the Day