lonely
English
Etymology
From lone + -ly, or from an apheretic shortening of alonely. See lone.
Pronunciation
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈləʊn.li/
- (US) IPA(key): /ˈloʊn.li/
audio (US) (file)
Adjective
lonely (comparative lonelier, superlative loneliest)
- Unhappy because of feeling isolated from contact with other people.
- 1941, Mack Gordon and Harry Warren (music), “At Last”, performed by Glenn Miller, vocals by Ray Eberle and Pat Friday:
- At last
My love has come along
My lonely days are over
And life is like a song
- 1956, Mae Boren Axton, Tommy Durden, and Elvis Presley (lyrics), “Heartbreak Hotel”, performed by Elvis Presley:
- Well, since my baby left me,
Well, I found a new place to dwell.
Well, it's down at the end of Lonely Street
At Heartbreak Hotel.
Where I'll be, I'll be so lonely, baby
Well, I'm so lonely
I'll be so lonely, I could die.
- 2013 June 8, “The new masters and commanders”, in The Economist, volume 407, number 8839, page 52:
- From the ground, Colombo’s port does not look like much. Those entering it are greeted by wire fences, walls dating back to colonial times and security posts. For mariners leaving the port after lonely nights on the high seas, the delights of the B52 Night Club and Stallion Pub lie a stumble away.
-
- (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
Related terms
- lone
- loneliness
Translations
of person: unhappy by feeling isolated
|
of place: desolate
|
solitary — see solitary
Anagrams
- Nolley