lonesome
adjective/ˈləʊnsəm/
/ˈləʊnsəm/
(especially North American English)- unhappy because you are alone and do not want to be or because you have no friends
- I felt so lonesome after he left.
Definitions on the go
Look up any word in the dictionary offline, anytime, anywhere with the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary app.
- (of a place) where not many people go; a long way from where people live
- a lonesome road
Which Word? alone / on your own / by yourself / lonely / lonealone / on your own / by yourself / lonely / lone- Alone, and on your own/by yourself (which are less formal and are the normal phrases used in spoken English), describe a person or thing that is not with other people or things. They do not mean that the person is unhappy:
- I like being alone in the house.
- I’m going to London by myself next week.
- I want to finish this on my own (= without anyone’s help).
- Lone/solitary/single mean that there is only one person or thing there; lone and solitary may sometimes suggest that the speaker thinks the person involved is lonely:
- a lone jogger in the park
- long, solitary walks
- Lonely (North American English also lonesome) means that you are sad because you have no friends or people to talk to:
- a lonely child
- Sam was very lonely when he first moved to New York.
- a lonely house
Check pronunciation:
lonesome