loner

noun

lon·​er ˈlō-nər 

1

: one that avoids others: such as

a

: a person who is often alone or likes to be alone : someone who usually avoids the company of others

He is a moody loner who doesn't become chummy with anyone.

—Sam Moses

Many rowers will agree that sculling is a sport for loners who relish the more quixotic elements of the sport.

—D. C. Churbuck

… she found that the image of the scientist as an antisocial loner is a myth …

—Warren E. Leary

b

: a typically solitary animal

Black bears are loners and usually wander by themselves in search of food.

—Mark Carwardine

Despite the fact they are loners, cats do have a well-organized social system based on scent marks and mutual avoidance.

—Fiona Sunquist

2

: individualist sense 1

Synonyms of loner

• maverick
• bohemian
• individualist
• eccentric

Examples of loner in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In the elder’s tale, high-achieving loner Devon (Sandler) heads to college hopeful of finally making the friends that eluded her in high school. —Guy Lodge, Variety, 17 Apr. 2026

There is, in fact, a serial killer behind them, a handsome, dead-eyed loner named Arthur (Dacre Montgomery) who, like Margot, is terminally online. —Alison Willmore, Vulture, 10 Apr. 2026

Modern extremists aren’t known for their love of Broadway, but a song about impressing a girl by killing a president takes on new meaning when sung from the lips of a social media loner. —Charles Lewis Iii, Mercury News, 9 Apr. 2026

Tapping celebrity guests like A$AP Rocky and Tame Impala for an album of silky cosmic funk, Thundercat channels the id of the geeky, emotionally maladjusted loner. —Daniel Felsenthal, Pitchfork, 7 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1947, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for loner

• donor
• kroner
• kronor
• owner
• stoner
• toner
• homeowner
• landowner
• shipowner

Kids Definition

loner

noun

lon·​er ˈlō-nər 

: one that avoids others

especially : individualist sense 1