lonesome

1 of 2

adjective

lone·​some ˈlōn(t)-səm How to pronounce lonesome (audio)
1
a
: sad or dejected as a result of lack of companionship or separation from others
don't be lonesome while we are gone
b
: causing a feeling of loneliness
the empty house seemed so lonesome
2
a
: remote, unfrequented
look down, look down that lonesome roadGene Austin
b
: lone
lonesomely adverb
lonesomeness noun

lonesome

2 of 2

noun

: self
sat all by his lonesome
Choose the Right Synonym for lonesome

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 lonesome in a Sentence

Adjective He was lonesome for his family. The empty house seemed so lonesome.
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
The penguin had left on a lonesome pilgrimage, solus rex, and no one had the slightest clue why. Yiyun Li, Harper's Magazine, 23 Sep. 2024 Though the film eventually finds its way to Saoirse Ronan’s captivating lead performance as a recovering alcoholic, The Outrun begins underwater, observing a lonesome seal in the North Sea. Jake Kring-Schreifels, TIME, 4 Oct. 2024
Noun
Antarctica, though, would stay by its lonesome in the south. Sarah Zhang, Discover Magazine, 10 Feb. 2012 At 11 seconds, the defense left Rudy Gobert all by his lonesome for an easy alley-oop from Mitchell to give the Jazz the lead. Dallas News, 23 Apr. 2022 See all Example Sentences for lonesome 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lonesome.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1647, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

1899, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of lonesome was in 1647

Dictionary Entries Near lonesome

Cite this Entry

“Lonesome.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lonesome. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

lonesome

adjective
lone·​some
ˈlōn(t)-səm
1
: sad from lack of companionship or separation from others
2
: not often visited or traveled over
a lonesome highway
the lonesome frontier
lonesomeness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on lonesome

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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