LONELY

lonely, lonesome

(adjective) marked by dejection from being alone; “felt sad and lonely”; “the loneliest night of the week”; “lonesome when her husband is away”; “spent a lonesome hour in the bar”

lonely, solitary, unfrequented

(adjective) devoid of creatures; “a lonely crossroads”; “a solitary retreat”; “a trail leading to an unfrequented lake”

lonely, lone(a), solitary

(adjective) characterized by or preferring solitude; “a lone wolf”; “a lonely existence”; “a man of a solitary disposition”; “a solitary walk”

lone, alone(p), lonely, solitary

(adjective) lacking companions or companionship; “he was alone when we met him”; “she is alone much of the time”; “the lone skier on the mountain”; “a lonely fisherman stood on a tuft of gravel”; “a lonely soul”; “a solitary traveler”

Source: WordNet® 3.1

Etymology

Adjective

lonely (comparative lonelier, superlative loneliest)

Unhappy because of feeling isolated from contact with other people.

(of a, place or time) Unfrequented by people; desolate.

(of a, person) Without companions; solitary.

Synonyms

• (dejected): lonesome

• (unfrequented by people): desolate, desert, empty, unpeopled, unpopulated

• (without companions): solitary, alone, unaccompanied

Anagrams

• Nolley

Source: Wiktionary

Lone"ly, a. [Compar. Lonelier; superl. Loneliest.] Etym: [Shortened fr. alonely.]

1. Sequestered from company or neighbors; solitary; retired; as, a lonely situation; a lonely cell.

2. Alone, or in want of company; forsaken. To the misled and lonely traveler. Milton.

3. Not frequented by human beings; as, a lonely wood.

4. Having a feeling of depression or sadness resulting from the consciousness of being alone; lonesome. I am very often alone. I don't mean I am lonely. H. James.

Syn.

– Solitary; lone; lonesome; retired; unfrequented; sequestered; secluded.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition