Loneliness
noun /ˈləʊnlɪnɪs/ — The pain of unwanted solitude — the ache of being alone when you don't want to be.
Definition
Sadness because one has no friends or company; the quality of being unfrequented and remote; the state of feeling unhappy about being alone.
Beyond the definition
Loneliness is the distinction that matters: solitude can be chosen and welcomed; loneliness is unchosen and painful. The loneliness of a crowd is its own particular form — surrounded by others and still alone. Modern life has made loneliness epidemic.
Origin & history
From lonely (from lone: single, alone, from Middle English, from Old English ana: on one's own) + -ness. The quality of being alone in the way that hurts.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
The loneliness wasn't about being alone — she could be alone quite happily. It was the specific absence of being known.
Loneliness in a crowd: the most specific kind — the people nearby make the isolation more acute.
She came to understand that loneliness is not solved by company; it is solved by being understood.
How to use it
This entry uses a noun. Follow the examples for articles and singular or plural forms; not every noun takes “a” or “an.”
Choose “Loneliness” when the meaning fits your context: Sadness because one has no friends or company; the quality of being unfrequented and remote; the state of feeling unhappy about being alone.
Synonyms
isolation, solitude, aloneness, desolation
Antonyms
connection, belonging, community
Related words
Word in the Wild
See how this word appears in life, language and stories.
Illustrative sentences and imagined stories for learning — not verified sightings, interviews, or sourced quotations.
Fictional scene
Sitting by an Empty Chair
An adult sits in a dark, quiet room looking at a single, empty wooden chair near them.
The posture of the figure facing an empty seat conveys the internal weight of missing companionship. This image illustrates the quiet, stagnant quality of loneliness, where the physical absence of another person occupies the center of the observer's quiet, somber environment.
Image credit: Wordspun · AI-generated conceptual illustration
Questions about this word
What does "Loneliness" mean?
Loneliness is noun meaning: The pain of unwanted solitude — the ache of being alone when you don't want to be.. Sadness because one has no friends or company; the quality of being unfrequented and remote; the state of feeling unhappy about being alone.
Where does the word "Loneliness" come from?
From lonely (from lone: single, alone, from Middle English, from Old English ana: on one's own) + -ness. The quality of being alone in the way that hurts.