ENGLISH
REFERENCE

lonely

adj.
B1 Intermediate Oxford US //ˈɫoʊnɫi// UK //lˈəʊnli// lone·ly General-service

adj. unhappy because you are alone or do not have anyone to talk to. You can feel this way even if you are around other people.

adj. affected by a depressing sense of isolation or lack of companionship. Describes an emotional state rather than a literal physical count of people present.


SIMPLE

He felt very lonely after his best friend moved away.

CONTEXTUAL

Living in a large city can actually make you feel more lonely if you do not know your neighbors.

COMPLEX

The protagonist's journey is marked by a lonely struggle against a society that refuses to acknowledge his contributions or his humanity.

Synonyms
Origin

From lone + -ly, or from an apheretic shortening of alonely. See lone.

Usage

Typically used to describe people, but can also describe places that are empty or rarely visited.

Pitfall

I am very alone todayI am very lonely todayLearners often use 'alone' to describe a sad feeling, but 'alone' just means being by yourself, while 'lonely' means being unhappy about it.

Idioms1 entry

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