Word
lonely
Phoneticslone·ly, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈɫoʊnɫi/
UK/lˈəʊnli/
Definitions
01feeling sad and alone
B1 · Intermediate
adj. unhappy because you are alone or do not have anyone to talk to.
adj. experiencing a sense of sadness or depression resulting from a perceived lack of companionship or social connection.
“He felt lonely during his first week in the new city because he didn't know anyone.”
“Moving to a foreign country where she spoke little of the language left her feeling profoundly lonely, despite being surrounded by crowds of people every day.”
Pitfall
I feel very alone today.
I feel very lonely today.
'Alone' simply means no one else is there; 'lonely' describes the sad feeling caused by being alone.
Antonyms
02without companions
B1 · Intermediate
adj. being the only person or thing in a place.
adj. characterised by being solitary or lacking companions; often used to describe a single person or object in a large space.
“A lonely figure stood on the beach watching the ships go by.”
“The hiker was a lonely silhouette against the vast mountain range, appearing tiny and vulnerable in the face of such immense nature.”
03a quiet or empty place
B2 · Upper Intermediate Literary
adj. a place that is far away from where people live and is rarely visited.
adj. describing a location that is remote, unfrequented, or desolate.
“They drove down a lonely country road for miles without seeing another car.”
“The lighthouse stood on a lonely stretch of coastline, battered by the Atlantic winds and miles from the nearest village.”
Antonyms
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “lonely” in context.
Verb
01. feel lonely
“It is common to feel lonely when you first move to a new country.”
verb + adj
02. get lonely
“I get lonely if I stay at home by myself for too long.”
verb + adj
03. lonely place
“The top of the mountain can be a very lonely place in the winter.”
adj + noun
04. lonely road
“They drove for hours along a lonely road through the desert.”
adj + noun
Adjective
05. rather lonely
“The house felt rather lonely without the children playing in the garden.”
adv + adj
06. terribly lonely
“He felt terribly lonely after his best friend moved to another city.”
adv + adj
Noun
07. life for lonely
“Charities work hard to improve life for the lonely and elderly.”
noun + prep + adj
08. a long and lonely
“It was a long and lonely walk back to the village.”
09. lonely heart
“The magazine had a special column for lonely hearts looking for love.”
10. make someone feel lonely
“The cold, empty rooms made her feel lonely and sad.”
Confusables
Alone is the physical state of being by yourself; lonely is the emotional pain of feeling disconnected.
RememberAlone is a count of people; lonely is a feeling in the heart.
Etymology
From lone + -ly, or from an apheretic shortening of alonely. See lone.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
Idioms
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B1 PreliminaryIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.4.0–5.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 3.0–3.544–71TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.550–784
- Frequency
- Common
- Level
- B1 · IntermediateOxford
- Updated
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