loneliness

loneliness — noun

1. the sad feeling of being without friends, family, or anyone to talk to, often la

1.nounB2
Definition

the sad feeling of being without friends, family, or anyone to talk to, often lasting a long time

Example

After moving to a new city, Beatrix felt a deep loneliness that lasted for months.

adjective + loneliness: deep loneliness

The old fisherman's loneliness lifted when he began teaching children at the harbour.

loneliness as subject + verb: loneliness lifted

Common collocations
  • deep loneliness
  • crushing loneliness
  • intense loneliness
  • terrible loneliness
  • utter loneliness
  • feel loneliness
  • suffer from loneliness
  • overcome loneliness
  • loneliness creeps in
  • loneliness sets in
  • a sense of loneliness
  • loneliness and isolation
Synonyms
  • isolation

    focuses on being physically separate from others; can be neutral or negative, while loneliness is always emotional

  • solitude

    positively valued time spent alone by choice, unlike the unhappiness of loneliness

  • desolation

    more intense, suggesting devastation and utter emptiness; closer to grief than simple sadness

Antonyms
  • companionship

    the presence of someone to share time with, the opposite of the feeling of being alone

  • belonging

    the feeling of being accepted and included by a group, opposite of the exclusion loneliness brings

Grammar Patterns

uncountable noun

Usage Note

Unlike solitude, which can be a positive or chosen state, loneliness always carries a negative emotional meaning of sadness or longing for connection.

Common Mistakes

I enjoy loneliness when I read books at home.
I enjoy solitude when I read books at home.
'solitude' describes a positive, chosen aloneness, while 'loneliness' is the unhappy feeling of being alone.

2. the quality of a place that feels empty, quiet, and far from where people live

2.nounC1
Definition

the quality of a place that feels empty, quiet, and far from where people live

Example

The loneliness of the desert stretched for miles in every direction.

possessive construction: loneliness of [place]

Hikers were drawn to the peaceful loneliness of the mountain trail.

adjective + loneliness: peaceful loneliness

Common collocations
  • the loneliness of the desert
  • the loneliness of the wilderness
  • the loneliness of the mountains
  • the loneliness of the tundra
  • peaceful loneliness
  • quiet loneliness
  • haunting loneliness
  • stark loneliness
  • the loneliness of a place
Synonyms
  • remoteness

    focuses on physical distance from civilization; more neutral in tone

  • desolation

    stronger, suggesting barrenness and a sense of abandonment or emptiness

  • seclusion

    suggests being hidden or sheltered from view, sometimes by choice

Antonyms
  • bustle

    busy, noisy activity of a crowded place, the opposite of a remote quiet area

  • congestion

    being crowded or blocked with people or traffic

Grammar Patterns

uncountable noun

Usage Note

This sense applies to landscapes, buildings, or areas — not to people. It describes the atmosphere of a remote location rather than an emotional state.

Common Mistakes

The loneliness of the old house made me feel sad.' (could mean either sense)
The loneliness of the old house kept visitors away for years.
specifying 'visitors' and 'kept away' makes it clear you mean the place's remoteness, not an emotion.

Word family

  • lonely
    adjectiveB1
  • alone
    adjectiveA2
  • lonesome
    adjectiveC1
  • loner
    nounC1
  • lone
    adjectiveB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

The core difference between these words lies in emotional tone and whether the aloneness is chosen or forced. Loneliness is the subjective pain of wanting connection with others; it hurts and is never chosen. Isolation describes the objective state of being apart from people — it can be neutral (medical isolation) or negative (social isolation), but lacks the emotional ache central to loneliness. Solitude is positively valued aloneness, often deliberately sought for peace or reflection — a writer might crave solitude but dread loneliness. Alienation adds the dimension of being cut off from the values, norms, or feelings of a group, even while physically among them. Desolation is the most intense, suggesting a devastated emptiness closer to grief. To compare: 'After retiring, he felt loneliness, not solitude — he missed daily chats with coworkers.' 'During the pandemic, the family faced isolation but not loneliness because they supported each other.'

isolation ↗solitude ↗alienationdesolation

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • feelings of loneliness
  • a sense of loneliness
  • suffer from loneliness
  • overcome loneliness
  • escape loneliness
  • a life of loneliness
  • loneliness and isolation

Prepositions

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

The word 'loneliness' is formed from 'lonely' (the adjective) plus the noun suffix '-ness', which turns adjectives into nouns meaning 'a state or condition.' 'Lonely' comes from 'lone,' a shortened version of 'alone' (from the phrase 'all one,' used in Old English to mean 'entirely by oneself'). The modern sense of sadness caused by being alone developed around the 16th century; earlier uses focused more on the simple fact of being without company.