Is lonely the same as alone?

No. Alone means by yourself. Lonely means unhappy because you lack company.

Can lonely describe a place?

Yes. A lonely place has very few people, activity, or comfort.

Is lonely formal or informal?

It is common in everyday English and also fine in writing.

← Dictionary

lonely

/ˈləʊn.li/

IELTSAcademic

adjective

Feeling sad because you are alone or do not have enough companionship. It can also describe a place or time with no people or activity.

She felt lonely after moving to a new city.
This is a lonely road at night.

Adinary Nuance

Lonely is not the same as alone. Alone only describes being by yourself, but lonely describes a sad feeling from lack of company. It is also different from isolated, which often means separated or cut off, not mainly emotional. Use lonely when the feeling matters most.

In other languages

Vietnamese: cô đơn
Spanish: solitario
Chinese: 孤独的
Japanese: 寂しい
Korean: 외로운

Etymology

Lonely comes from the English word alone, with the suffix -ly added in Middle English. It became common in English by the 1500s.

Common phrases

feel lonelya lonely lifelonely placelonely and sad

Synonyms

isolated solitary desolate

Related words

alone sad friendless separated

Frequently asked questions

Is lonely the same as alone?: No. Alone means by yourself. Lonely means unhappy because you lack company.
Can lonely describe a place?: Yes. A lonely place has very few people, activity, or comfort.
Is lonely formal or informal?: It is common in everyday English and also fine in writing.