loner

noun

lon·​er ˈlō-nər How to pronounce loner (audio)
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

Examples of loner in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web But what begins as a naturalistic portrait of an alcoholic loner soon transforms into something far more sinister and turbulent once Julia gets caught up in a crackpot scheme to kidnap her neighbor’s son for ransom. Indiewire Staff, IndieWire, 13 Aug. 2024 Always quiet and a bit of a loner, Jimmy struggled in conservative Columbus. Zach Harris, Rolling Stone, 6 Aug. 2024 Former peers who have spoken out since he was shot dead by Secret Service agents on Saturday have characterized the Pennsylvania resident as a quiet loner. Christina Coulter, Fox News, 16 July 2024 Directed by newcomer Abhinandan Banerjee, the film tells the story of Manik, a loner in Kolkata who forms an unlikely bond with a cloud. Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 1 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for loner 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'loner.' 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

1947, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of loner was in 1947

Dictionary Entries Near loner

Cite this Entry

“Loner.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/loner. Accessed 17 Sep. 2024.

Kids Definition

loner

noun
lon·​er ˈlō-nər How to pronounce loner (audio)
: one that avoids others
especially : individualist sense 1

More from Merriam-Webster on loner

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