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

• maverick
• bohemian
• individualist
• eccentric

Examples of loner in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The fleeting but fulfilling chance encounter between the two young loners has the air of a meet-cute tale, and there’s certainly a romantic feel to how their situation develops. —Josh Slater-Williams, IndieWire, 17 Aug. 2025

And stuff each song with lyrics about '20s-generation malaise and deranged loners? —Ew Staff Published, EW.com, 14 Aug. 2025

Sketching swastikas and 'edgy' jokes: Idaho shooter not typical loner Who is Wess Roley? —Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 24 July 2025

In their latest – and their first fiction film – a Belarusian wannabe model is drawn to a mysterious loner (Marya Imbro and Mikhail Senkov) working the night shift at a morgue. —Marta Balaga, Variety, 8 July 2025

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