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alone

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adjective

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an alone time
a solitary time
a private time
a secluded time
a personal time
an alone group
a solitary group
an individual group
a separated group
a singular group
a separate group
an alone entity
a solo entity
a complete entity
a sole entity
an unique entity
a single entity
an alone system
a solo system
a solitary system
an individual system
an independent system
a separate system
an alone product
a single product
a complete product
a separate product
an independent product
a whole product

Synonym Chooser

How is the word alone distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of alone are desolate, forlorn, lonely, lonesome, lone, and solitary. While all these words 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

When can desolate be used instead of alone?

The meanings of desolate and alone largely overlap; however, desolate implies inconsolable grief at loss or bereavement.

desolate after her brother's death

When is forlorn a more appropriate choice than alone?

In some situations, the words forlorn and alone are roughly equivalent. However, forlorn stresses dejection, woe, and listlessness at separation from one held dear.

a forlorn lost child

How does the word lone relate to other synonyms for alone?

Lone may replace lonely or lonesome but typically is as objective as alone.

a lone robin pecking at the lawn

How do lonely and solitary relate to one another, in the sense of alone?

Lonely adds to solitary a suggestion of longing for companionship.

felt lonely and forsaken

In what contexts can lonesome take the place of alone?

The words lonesome and alone can be used in similar contexts, but lonesome heightens the suggestion of sadness and poignancy.

an only child often leads a lonesome life

When could solitary be used to replace alone?

While in some cases nearly identical to alone, solitary may indicate isolation as a chosen course, but more often it suggests sadness and a sense of loss.

glorying in the calm of her solitary life
left solitary by the death of his wife

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of alone
Adverb
The first episode alone features Paul Dano, Peter Berg, Nicholas Stoller, Martin Scorsese, Charlize Theron and Steve Buscemi, most of whom are wrapped up in Matt’s frantic quest to lock down a director for his first major project: a feature film adaptation of Kool-Aid. Adam B. Vary, Variety, 8 Mar. 2025 Going Dormant for Development That works great for the first year, when every individual is just wandering alone in search of a meal. Cody Cottier, Discover Magazine, 8 Mar. 2025
Adjective
Vance isn’t alone in undermining allied confidence. Shane Harris, The Atlantic, 6 Mar. 2025 Along with suggestions, other users noted that Amanda wasn’t alone in having gone through this experience. Jordan Greene, People.com, 6 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for alone
Recent Examples of Synonyms for alone
Adverb
  • The announcement came one day after Skerry revealed that the university had only $120,000 to build a team compared with $1.1 million for the College of Charleston and $500,000 for UNC Wilmington.
    Edward Lee, Baltimore Sun, 11 Mar. 2025
  • Jackson was useful for only the first year of the deal.
    Michael-Shawn Dugar, The Athletic, 11 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Another remembers her lonely childhood with a single mother and resolved it with a partner from a large family and three children.
    Hazlitt, Hazlitt, 5 Mar. 2025
  • This distinction is important: your parent might live alone without feeling isolated, or conversely, feel lonely despite being surrounded by people.
    Carolyn Rosenblatt, Forbes, 4 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Drinkwater didn't make one appearance in a Chelsea shirt last season, whilst Bakayoko spent the season in Italy on loan at AC Milan.
    SI.com, SI.com, 3 Aug. 2019
  • Decisions made by engineers today, in other words, will determine not how one car drives but how all cars drive.
    Johannes Himmelreich, BostonGlobe.com, 30 Mar. 2018
Adverb
  • The recalled bottles were sold from Dec. 27, 2024 to Jan. 28, 2025 in the following states: Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas, the retailer and federal agency separately said.
    Kate Gibson, CBS News, 14 Mar. 2025
  • Khalil’s legal team has asked the judge to rule on the lawfulness of his detention and order his return to New York while his immigration matter separately plays out.
    Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 12 Mar. 2025
Adverb
  • Because Jalen Williams is a year older, is a year more physically mature and has grown into an All-Star in his own right, the bulk of the playoff offense won’t fall solely into the arms of NBA MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
    Tony Jones, The Athletic, 10 Mar. 2025
  • Typically, malicious extensions or apps are created solely to steal data, with their advertised functionality being an afterthought or simply a way to get listed in an official store.
    Kurt Knutsson, CyberGuy Report, Fox News, 8 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • As always, Kylian Mbappe is the lone number 9 up front.
    Tom Sanderson, Forbes, 15 Mar. 2025
  • On Friday, the Royals officially announced Alex Gordon as the lone inductee in the 2025 class.
    Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 14 Mar. 2025
Adverb
  • This followed the appearance of a tornado near Tuscaloosa just an hour earlier in the day.
    Mark Davis, Newsweek, 16 Mar. 2025
  • Keep a daily running score or just play for a new score each day.
    Erik Kain, Forbes, 16 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Murray’s collection of Junos includes back-to-back awards for both album of the year and single of the year for 1980-81.
    Paul Grein, Billboard, 17 Mar. 2025
  • Loftis appeared in two games in 2024 as the third-string quarterback, not throwing a single pass, before hitting the portal and committing to Albin as a redshirt sophomore.
    Hunter Bailey, Charlotte Observer, 17 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Alone.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/alone. Accessed 22 Mar. 2025.

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