lone

adjective

ˈlōn 

1

a

: having no company : solitary

b

: preferring solitude

2

: only, sole

3

: situated by itself : isolated

loneness

ˈlōn-nəs 

noun

Synonyms

• alone
• one
• one-off
• only
• singular
• sole
• solitary
• special
• sui generis
• unique

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

the lone ripe apple in the entire bag

just one lone cow in the middle of the field

Recent Examples on the Web

Yellowstone is famously written by one lone man named Taylor Sheridan who will not accept help. —Anne Victoria Clark, Vulture, 8 Nov. 2024

Their lone defeat came in a Week 3 nail-biter to Columbine when the Rebels hit the game-winning field goal with 12 seconds left. —Matt Schubert, The Denver Post, 6 Nov. 2024

The lone constitutional amendment question on Tuesday's ballot had not been finalized by the end of the night, with the latest results showing 53% of voters voting to approve the measure that would change the governor's line of succession and 46% voting against. —Caroline Beck, The Indianapolis Star, 6 Nov. 2024

Wildlife managers were seeing lower hunter success rates, and at that time, harvest reports were their lone source of insight into moose numbers. —Katie Hill, Outdoor Life, 6 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, short for alone

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing lone

• lone ranger
• lone star tick
• lone wolf
• plough a lone/lonely furrow

Kids Definition

lone

adjective

ˈlōn 

1

: having no company : solitary

a lone traveler

2

: situated by itself

a lone outpost